MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. The US Congressmen, who are planning to visit Russia in the coming days, had requested a meeting with Russia’s Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko but were notified that this meeting is impossible due to her foreign trip, Russian Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachev said.
"We informed the US side that the requested meeting at the level of the Federation Council Chairman is impossible as the Federation Council Chairman will be on her foreign trip. But we confirmed our readiness to meet at other levels and will now see what their reaction will be. We haven’t received the response so far," Kosachev said.
All Congressmen, who were willing to come to Russia, have obtained visas, he said.
According to Kosachev, late on July 2 the Congressmen will arrive in Moscow and stay there until July 4. The delegation, which will consist of up to five Republican senators, also plans to visit St. Petersburg. It is unknown yet if all these senators come to Russia.
Speaking on the issues which may be discussed at the meeting, Kosachev said the Russian side doesn’t have any closed topics. However, it will depend on whether the US counterparts are ready for dialogue or whether they are coming "to read out a monologue on the well-known US positions."
Last week, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said the visit of the US Congress delegation to Russia is an "important signal" and will give an impetus to resuming bilateral inter-parliamentary ties. The delegation will include both members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, Antonov said. The program envisages visits to Moscow and St. Petersburg between late June and early July.