MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. The possibility of an exchange of presidential visits between Russia and the United States has been discussed, but there are no concrete agreements on that score for now, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told the media on Wednesday.
He said that when US presidential national security adviser John Bolton paid a visit to Russia, the possibility was discussed of "a whole string of contacts" between the two leaders - in Paris on November 11 and then on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires (November 30-December 1). "Alongside this the possibility was considered of exchanging visits by the US leader to Moscow and the Russian leader to Washington, but no concrete discussion has been held so far," Ushakov said.
Asked when such visits might take place, he replied that US President Donald Trump had repeatedly expressed the wish to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Washington at the beginning of next year."This topic was not discussed in detail, though. The issue of the day is a brief meeting in Paris and a more substantial one in Buenos Aires," Ushakov said.
According to him, following reports about plans for a Paris meeting between the two presidents, France voiced concern that such a meeting would distract public attention from the Paris events marking the 100th anniversary of the World War I Armistice. "That said, both Washington and Moscow decided to refrain from holding full-fledged talks between the two presidents and arrange such talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires," Ushakov said, adding that while in Paris, Putin and Trump would have only a brief meeting during a working lunch at the Elysee Palace.
"Preparations for a Buenos Aires meeting are underway, we continue consultations with the US, discussing the time and place for the meeting. We will clearly need to hold consultations on the meeting’s agenda as well," the Russian presidential aide added.