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Russian Security Council's chief, CIA director meet in Moscow

Nikolay Patrushev and William Burns discussed Russian-US relations

MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. The Secretary of Russia's Security, Council Nikolay Patrushev has held a meeting with the visiting Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns in Moscow on Tuesday, the Russian Security Council said.

"The sides discussed Russia-US relations," the news release reads.

It was the first Patrushev-Burns meeting since the latter took office as CIA director. Their previous contact was in 2013, when Patrushev visited the United States. Burns was then deputy secretary of state (Secretary of State John Kerry was on a tour of the Middle East at that moment, so Patrushev was received by his deputy).

Patrushev maintains regular contacts with US presidential national security advisor Jake Sullivan. This year they talked by telephone six times and held one personal meeting.

Burns was the United States' ambassador to Russia in 2005-2008. He was appointed the CIA's director in March 2021, becoming the first-ever career diplomat in US history to take this position.

On June 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden met in Geneva for talks. It was their first face-to-face meeting in the capacity of heads of state and the first Russian-US summit since 2018. In a joint statement, the leaders stressed that the two sides were determined to commence a comprehensive bilateral dialogue on strategic stability. The dialogue would be meaningful and vigorous, they promised. Also, Moscow and Washington agreed to start consultations on cybersecurity, prisoner exchange and arms control.

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