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US seeks to cooperate with Russia in mutual interest areas - top diplomat

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested that US President Donald Trump could meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "in the not-too-distant future"
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo EPA-EFE/MICHAEL REYNOLDS
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo
© EPA-EFE/MICHAEL REYNOLDS

WASHINGTON, June 23. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the Trump administration is trying to cooperate with Russia in those areas where the two nations have shared interests.

"The President’s been unambiguous since he took office that there are places where Russia is working against the United States but many places where we work together," he said in an interview with MSNBC television made public by the US Department of State on Saturday. "I had a chance to do that in my previous role as CIA director, where we worked with the Russians on counterterrorism issues, where the two nations had shared interests. And so we are having conversations with our Russian counterparts trying to find places where we have overlapping interests."

Pompeo added that the US would protect its interests. He noted that "some of the behaviors that they [Russia] are undertaking in places like Syria and Ukraine are just - they’re not helpful, they’re not constructive towards the values that the Americans hold dear." He stressed though that Washington is determined to "continue to work to make sure they know our interests and our concerns."

America's diplomat suggested that US President Donald Trump could meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "in the not-too-distant future."

Trump has spoken out in favor of ironing out relations between Moscow and Washington on numerous occasions. He reiterated his stance answering reporters’ questions on June 15, saying that it would be much better for the US to get along with Russia than vice versa.