All news

Russian top diplomat comments on first Putin-Trump conversation

The phone conversation of the Russian and US presidents showed a range of areas where the interests of both countries coincide, Sergey Lavrov notes

MOSCOW, January 30. /TASS/. The first conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump was good in political and personal terms, for it showed the two leaders’ mutual respect and the wish to work with reliance on the national interests of their countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"The conversation that took place between Putin and Trump on Saturday was good, I should say, in political and personal terms," Lavrov said. "It demonstrated mutual respect and both leaders’ wish to communicate without lecturing each other and with reliance on the national interests of their countries."

"The conversation that, according to the clear reasons, was focused on concept-based things, without going into detail, showed a whole range of areas where the interests of Russia and US coincide," Lavrov said, adding that Putin-Trump conversation showed that both Russian and US leaders wish communicate without lecturing each other and rely on their countries' interests.

The two leaders agreed to continue work at the expert-level and as part of their further contacts. The contacts of experts between Russia and the United States, namely on fight against terrorism, should become regular as soon as Trump completes forming his cabinet, Lavrov said.

During these contacts, the sides will try to understand how their common interests in a range of areas, including fight against terrorism, may be translated into joint coordinated steps in solving the issues that are "common for Russia, the US and the international community in general," Lavrov said.

"There is intention to achieve results, but practical work is still ahead," he said.

Russia ready for talks with the US on combating terrorism any moment, he stressed, adding that Russia, the United States have unlimited possibilities for cooperation in the war on terror upon the availability of willpower.

Putin-Trump meeting

According to the top diplomat, the timeframe of further contacts between the Russian and US presidents still has to be agreed. "They agreed [during their phone talk] to continue work both at the level of experts and as part of their further contacts that are most likely to take place and the timeframe and the details of which still have to be agreed," the Russian foreign minister said.