WASHINGTON, November 2. /TASS/. Russia and the US have managed to establish a steady dialogue along the lines of Security Councils and diplomatic agencies after the Geneva summit in June, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said addressing the participants of the Fort Ross Dialogue meeting on Tuesday, according to the Russian Embassy in Washington.
"A sustainable dialogue is held through Security Councils and Foreign Ministries. There are expert contacts on climate issues, the development and protection of the Arctic. Business interaction continues, bilateral trade is growing. Nevertheless, these are just the first shoots on the way towards recovering our relations. Much work lies ahead in establishing the foundation for further progress," the diplomat said.
"We have resumed professional dialogue on strategic stability and cybersecurity. Averting an arms race and practicing self-restraint in cyber-competition are critically important for normalizing bilateral ties and preventing escalation of tension into a real crisis," the envoy added.
According to the Russian ambassador, Russia and the US are at a crucial point in their bilateral relations and must not lose this opportunity to translate the spirit of Geneva into practice. "I am convinced that both countries should seek to promote a unifying agenda. The current international situation requires that long-needed and overdue decisions be taken to establish interaction on eliminating threats fraught with major human and economic losses. The stakes are too high in combating international terrorism, proliferation of WMDs, climate change, escalation of regional conflicts and spread of deadly diseases," the diplomat said.
In May, a meeting was held between Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. In August and September, they held phone conversations. On Tuesday, Patrushev met in Moscow with Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency William Burns.