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Russia ready to answer US questions about human rights in Geneva — Lavrov

Russian foreign minister added as well that Russia would not agree to be guided by the concept of a rules-based world order that the US-led Western countries were advancing

MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. At the forthcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden in Geneva, the Russian side will be ready to discuss any issues, including human rights, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference on Monday. 

"We are ready to talk. We have no taboos. We will be discussing everything we will find appropriate and will be ready to answer the questions the American side will touch upon. This concerns human rights, too… We are ready to discuss human rights and any other issue to the extent that is envisaged by the universally achieved documents in this or any other sphere. This will rely exclusively on international law," Lavrov said.

He stressed that Russia would not agree to be guided by the concept of a rules-based world order that the US-led Western countries were advancing. He added that Moscow kept a close watch on the fate of the US citizens who were charged with participating in the January 6 unrest at Capitol Hill in Washington. "Of course, we will be ready to discuss everything, including the problems that exist in the United States. For instance, we have been monitoring with interest the persecution of those accused of the January 6 unrest. Many things of interest are happening there, including from the standpoint of human rights, the right of the opposition, and protection of the opposition's interests," Lavrov said.

"More details about progress in preparations for the summit and the summit itself will be available from the press services of the Kremlin and the White House," Lavrov said.

It is expected that the Russian and US presidents will meet in Geneva on June 16. It will be the first Russian-US summit meeting since Putin and the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, met in Helsinki in July 2018. The Kremlin said that the Russia and US leaders would discuss the current state of bilateral relations and the outlook for their development, strategic stability, and crucial issues on the international agenda, including cooperation in the struggle against the pandemic and the settlement of regional conflicts. On May 30, Biden said that, among other things, he would bring up the issue of human rights.