Kremlin Welcomes Possible Rubio-Lavrov Meeting

The Kremlin said it would welcome a meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings taking place this week in Manila.

Rubio, who is visiting the Philippines from 19 to 23 July, said over the weekend that he was prepared to meet Lavrov on the sidelines of the event. He added, however, that he did not know whether the meeting had been confirmed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would welcome such a meeting. He said contacts through the foreign ministries and diplomatic channels were primarily technical in nature, but that talks at the level of foreign ministers would be welcome.

Peskov also said there had been no contact between the Kremlin and the White House in recent days.

(Reuters, bak)