MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th June, 2021) The upcoming negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, will consist of three parts: narrow-format talks and two rounds of extended talks with a coffee break, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov announced, also providing an update on the composition of the Russian delegation.
Putin and Biden will meet on Wednesday at Villa La Grange in Geneva.
"The Swiss president [Guy Parmelin] will welcome Putin at Villa La Grange, then Biden will arrive, a traditional photo op will be arranged. Then the Swiss president will say a couple of words, he will welcome the participants of the summit and wish them success, and then our president and the US leader will go to the library on the first floor and the negotiations will start," Ushakov told reporters.
According to the Kremlin aide, the negotiations will consist of three parts: "narrow-format talks, expanded talks, a short break for tea and coffee, and then negotiations will continue, after which the sides will arrange press conferences for the presidents."
"The narrow-format negotiations will begin in the presence of [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided at the expanded negotiations ... As for whether the presidents wish to go private and hold real tete-a-tete talks, I do not know, it is up to them," Ushakov added.
No joint press conference will be held, the Kremlin aide confirmed.
"Previously, since the Soviet period, the US side advocated holding joint press conferences even more actively than we did. We have an understanding that each side will arrange separate communication with reporters," Ushakov said.
After the negotiations with Biden, Putin will meet with Parmelin and then leave for Russia.
The Russian delegation will include Lavrov, Ushakov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov, Russia's general staff chief Valery Gerasimov and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.
"In addition, [Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry] Kozak and [Russia's special presidential representative for Syria, Alexander] Lavrentyev were invited to discuss the regional problematic. So, we can make a conclusion that Ukraine and Syria will be on the agenda," Ushakov concluded.
