Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in the Philippine capital Manila. This high-level contact on July 23 was a continuation of the diplomatic dialogue between the two countries.
Emphasis on political solution in Ukraine
According to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Ukraine issue took center stage in the meeting. Minister Lavrov conveyed his assessments of the situation on the front line to his counterpart and said that the continued arms shipments to the Kyiv administration are unacceptable. Lavrov also drew attention to the destabilizing policies of European countries aimed at Russia's 'strategic defeat'.
The Russian minister once again confirmed that Moscow is ready for a resolution of the conflict in Ukraine through political and diplomatic means. He also reiterated their commitment to the proposals that emerged from the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage and that were approved by the Russian leader.
Cooperation and normalization steps
The two ministers also discussed regional and international issues. During the meeting, which covered the situation in the Persian Gulf, satisfaction was expressed over the resumption of full-fledged contacts between the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and NASA.
The parties agreed on the need to develop inter-parliamentary contacts and cultural cooperation. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that they focused on normalizing the working conditions of diplomatic missions and agreed to continue contacts between the foreign ministries, including at international organizations.
