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Russian, US diplomats meet in Istanbul to discuss 'irritants' in relations — MFA

Earlier, a diplomatic source told TASS that a meeting of diplomats from Russia and the United States on "irritant issues" was being held in Istanbul on Friday

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has confirmed a meeting between Russia and the US at the level of directors of relevant departments in Istanbul, arranged for a discussion of "irritants" in bilateral relations.

"Yes, it is true that a meeting is being held today in Istanbul at the level of the directors of relevant departments. In principle, this event is held periodically to discuss so-called irritants in bilateral relations. After a certain pause, we resumed communication with the Americans in person on this issue. The allusion to "irritants" means that they are discussing the technicalities of how the US diplomatic missions in Russia and Russian ones in the US function," Ryabkov said on Friday during a discussion entitled Russia-USA: What are the Limits of Confrontation?" on the platform of the international discussion club Valdai.

Earlier, a diplomatic source told TASS that a meeting of diplomats from Russia and the United States on "irritant issues" was being held in Istanbul on Friday.

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