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US Senate’s anti-Russian bill unconducive to Moscow-Washington dialogue — diplomat

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that if the incoming Administration declared an appropriate political course at cooperation with Russia, Moscow would be ready to develop it, too.

MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. An anti-Russian bill that the U.S. senators are drafting now will not be conducive to a fruitful dialogue between the U.S. and Russia, nor will it help eliminate the tangible global threats, believes Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"Does it bring closer any practical pathway that would lead up to cooperation, a buildup of relations, or a real elimination of threats?" she asked with definite rhetoric note while speaking over the Dozhd TV channel. "No, certainly it doesn’t. That’s internal political fiddling, which they certainly have."

"We’ve faced this kind of developments for the past several years," Zakharova said.

Reports said earlier the U.S. senators had rolled up their sleeves to produce a bill, which they thought would come forward as a response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine and in Syria, as well as to Moscow’s alleged attempts to wield impact on the U.S. presidential election.

Ben Cardin, a member of the Senate foreign relations committee told reporters the bill would have a comprehensive character.

Zakharova recalled that Russian continued constructive relations with the Obama Administration and was open to developing relations with the next Administration.

"Although this is an outgoing Administration, we’re treating our counterparts respectfully and continuing dialogue with them," she said. "

Zakharova added that if the incoming Administration declared an appropriate political course at cooperation with Russia, Moscow would be ready to develop it, too.

"I don’t think this will be easy or smooth," she said. "It’s not a matter of whether we have differences or not. It’s a matter of whether or not we want to bridge them and find points of contact as a minimum or tap the sphere where we could work together. Or whether we don’t want it and keep aggravating the situation.’

"We stand for the former," she said.