SOCHI, May 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to discuss bilateral relations, strategic stability, disarmament and regional issues at his May 14 meeting with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"The most pressing issues will be discussed. Clearly, the agenda will include bilateral relations, strategic stability and disarmament issues, as well as regional crises, namely, Iran, Syria and Venezuela, as well as the Korean Peninsula denuclearization," he said, adding that the parties might touch upon some other matters.
In response to a question about Venezuela, Peskov said he was not aware of the United States’ intention to provide guarantees to Russia in relation to the activities of the Rosneft oil company in Venezuela in case of a government change. "I haven’t heard anything about it, I don’t have such information," he said, commenting on media reports that US officials had mentioned such guarantees.
The Russian presidential spokesman pointed out that the meeting would take place after the Sochi talks between Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to Peskov, "the president will receive Mr. Pompeo and Minister Lavrov who will inform him of the results of their discussions."
Lavrov and Pompeo earlier held a meeting on the sidelines of the Arctic Council’s session in Finland’s Rovaniemi on May 6. Their talks lasted about an hour and, in Lavrov’s words, helped enhance the progress stemming from the May 3 conversation between the two countries’ presidents.