GENEVA, August 23. /TASS/. A meeting with US National Security Adviser John Bolton was constructive and no accusations against Russia were voiced, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev said on Thursday.
"No accusations against us were voiced and the work was constructive," he stressed. Patrushev said non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, including with regard to Iran and North Korea, had been discussed at his talks with Bolton.
"Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and missile technologies, generally as well as in respect to the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and Iran, problems related to Iran. Ensuring strategic stability and issues of arms control," Patrushev cited the topics at the Thursday’s talks in Geneva.
"We planned to sign the joint statement, but did not sign it, because the Americans wanted the joint statement to contain our involvement in their election. But we do not confirm it; we say that it is not true," Patrushev said.
"I stated that we will not tolerate such actions in 2018 and are ready to take the necessary measures to counter them," he said.
Patrushev has invited Bolton to Moscow for new consultations.
"We agreed that we will hold the next meeting. I invited them to Moscow or another city in Russia," Patrushev noted. "The dates have not been agreed yet."
Russia is working on all proposals put forward by the Americans in Geneva and expects prompt response from Washington to Russia’s initiatives, he said.
"We are working on all proposals and wishes expressed by our partners. For our part, we hope for prompt response from Washington to the initiatives that were put forward so that we can begin substantive work to remove mutual concerns," he said.
According to Patrushev, Russia put forward specific initiatives on each of the issues raised at the meeting concerning cooperation between Russia and the US. "The issue at hand is practical steps that both countries could take to increase mutual understanding on major international security problems and in bilateral relations," he said.
The Russian side’s statement dedicated to negotiations between Patrushev and Bolton obtained by TASS states that during the meeting in Geneva the parties brought up a wide range of issues, including, those concerning nuclear nonproliferation with regard to the Korean Peninsula problem and Iran’s nuclear program, the Russian-US treaties on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles and the reduction of strategic offensive arms, the situation in various parts of the world, including the Middle East and North Africa, specifically Syria and Afghanistan as well as Europe, in particular Ukraine.
The new START Treaty
The issues related to the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the new START Treaty) and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) were separately discussed at a meeting, Patrushev said.
‘We separately discussed the INF Treaty, the prospects and the issues related to the New START Treaty. Bilateral relations, counteraction to terrorism, illegal drugs trade, illegal migration and organized international crime [were discussed]," Patrushev said after his meeting with Bolton.
Moscow and Washington have agreed to resume the activities of the working groups within the two counries' defense and foreign ministries, he said.
"An agreement has been reached that those channels that were suspended - between the defense ministries, the defense ministers, chiefs of general staff and other working groups - will resume work. Contacts between the foreign ministries will resume as well. Those working groups, which did not work for a certain period of time," Patrushev said.
Situation in Afghanistan
"We separately [discussed] the situation in Syria, the situation in the area of the Middle East and North Africa - Yemen and Libya," Patrushev said. "We separately focused on Afghanistan," he added.
"We also briefly discussed the situation in Ukraine," the Russian security chief added.
The Russian side’s statement after talks says the parties brought up a wide range of issues, including, those concerning nuclear nonproliferation with regard to the Korean Peninsula problem and Iran’s nuclear program, the Russian-US treaties on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles and the reduction of strategic offensive arms, the situation in various parts of the world, including the Middle East and North Africa, specifically Syria and Afghanistan as well as Europe, in particular Ukraine.