US, Russia agree on more talks after Moscow offers reciprocal lifting of restrictions

US and Russia’s officials agreed to another round of talks aimed at resolving the dispute over their diplomatic missions, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Tuesday.

“There has been open discussion. Her [Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland] meetings have been useful,” Price said.

Nuland had met with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in Moscow earlier in the day to discuss normalizing the work of the two countries’ diplomatic missions along with a range of bilateral and regional issues.

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During the meeting, Ryabkov offered to lift all restrictions on the operations of Russian and US foreign missions in a reciprocal move, according to state news agency TASS.

“The current condition and prospects of bilateral relations were discussed. Special attention was paid to the operation of Russian and US foreign missions on each other's territory,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement after the meeting.

It added: “The Russian side stressed that hostile anti-Russian actions would not remain without retaliation, but Moscow did not seek further escalation. We suggest lifting all restrictions that have been imposed by both sides over the past few years.”

The ministry warned against what it described as “Washington’s policy of further confrontation” and called for a “realistic approach is required to building them on the basis of principles of equality and mutual respect for each other's interests.”

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