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Boris Johnson to visit Russia towards year end

The British foreign secretary will visit Moscow at an invitation from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

LONDON, October 13. /TASS/. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will visit Russia towards the end of the year, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

"The Foreign Secretary will visit Moscow towards the end of the year following an invitation from Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, as the UK continues its robust engagement with Russia," the statement reads.

"The visit will be an important opportunity to cover the Iran nuclear deal and other issues of shared interest, including regional stability in the Middle East, and containing threats to international peace. It will also enable us to discuss security co-operation ahead of next summer’s World Cup, on which the UK and Russia are constructively working together," the British Foreign Office added.

"Russia is a fellow permanent member of the UN Security Council and there are global security issues we need to discuss from Iran to North Korea," Johnson said as sited by the Foreign Office. "Of course we will continue to challenge Russia’s approach where we disagree, whether that is Russia’s actions in Syria or its aggression towards Ukraine. My visit will provide an opportunity to talk about these issues and more, face-to-face," he added.

"Our relationship with Russia is not straightforward. That is all the more reason to be talking to Russia - to manage our differences and co-operate where possible for the security of both our nations and the international community," the British foreign secretary pointed out.

"I am looking forward to visiting Moscow, to engaging with the Russian government and a wider range of Russian people including civil society and the all important next generation," Johnson said.