WASHINGTON, The current state and prospects for further development of bilateral ties were in focus of a meeting between Russian Ambassador to the United States and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the press service of the Russian embassy said on Monday.

"On March 9, Russian Ambassador Antonov met with US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin. The discussion focused on the current state and prospects for further development of the Russian-US ties, the implementation of the agreements reached by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at their summit in Helsinki in 2018 and a meeting in Osaka in 2019," it said.

"The Russian side reiterated its commitment to joint efforts towards stabilization of bilateral relations and expressed interest in maintaining regular direct dialogue between the embassy and the US administration," the embassy noted.

According to the US Department of the Treasury, Mnuchin and Antonov also discussed the topics of energy, trade and investments. "They discussed compliance with sanctions programs, Venezuelan economic conditions, and the potential for trade and investment. Secretary Mnuchin emphasized the importance of orderly energy markets," it said in a press statement.