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Potential Lavrov-Pompeo meeting at UN GA sidelines under consideration — Russian diplomat

The UN General Assembly High-Level Week will take place in New York in September

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, August 30. /TASS/. A meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York is under consideration, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

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Russia firmly rejects new US sanctions, Lavrov tells Pompeo

"A schedule of bilateral meetings is being made at the moment. The possibility of a meeting between the Russian and US top diplomats has been discussed and such a meeting is currently under consideration," she said.

"It is too early to speak about the date and format [of the meeting]. The meeting’s agenda is under consideration, as well as other issues such as expert participation," Zakharova said.

The UN General Assembly High-Level Week will take place in New York in September.

US State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said earlier that Pompeo had requested a meeting with Lavrov to discuss bilateral relations.

The Washington Post wrote earlier that "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is trying to reach an understanding with Moscow before a deadline for imposing sweeping new sanctions against Russia for allegedly poisoning a former Russian spy in Britain, said diplomats familiar with the efforts."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, in turn, did not rule out that Lavrov and Pompeo could meet on the sidelines on the UN General Assembly. However, he said that no specific decisions had been made so far.

The Russian and US top diplomats have held only one meeting since Pompeo took office. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Russian-US summit in the Finnish capital of Helsinki on July 16.

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