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Russian delegation in Vienna hopes for breakthrough in security guarantee talks with US

I do hope for that, for the common sense and pragmatism of our American counterparts, Konstantin Gavrilov said

MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. Konstantin Gavrilov, the head of the Russian delegation at the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control, hopes for a breakthrough in the Moscow-Washington talks on security guarantees at the meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, scheduled for January 21.

"I hope that there might be a certain breakthrough in this field at the meeting of Minister Lavrov with Secretary of State Blinken. I do hope for that, for the common sense and pragmatism of our American counterparts," Gavrilov said in a televised interview with Rossiya-24 news channel on Wednesday.

Additionally, Gavrilov expects the January 21 meeting between Lavrov and Blinken to lead to the US’ and NATO’s responses in writing to the Russian proposals on security guarantees.

"The meeting between the US Secretary of State and Minister Lavrov will probably come to this [to receiving replies]," the diplomat said.

On December 17, 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a draft agreement with the United States on security guarantees and another one on measures ensuring the security of Russia and NATO member states. Russia-US consultations on these issues were held in Geneva on January 10. A Russia-NATO Council meeting was held in Brussels on January 12, and a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council was held in Vienna on January 13.

Moscow points out that it is waiting for the West’s written responses to the draft documents in the near future. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that preparations were being made for the Lavrov-Blinken meeting in Geneva on January 21.