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Putin’s talks with Kerry seen as first signs of bid to get relations back on track

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the talks had been long, open, quite friendly and businesslike

© Alexey Nikolsky/TASS

SOCHI, May 12. /TASS/. The Kremlin does not qualify talks of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Secretary of State John Kerry as a breakthrough but as first signs of understanding that the two great powers should get their relations back on track, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Tuesday in comments on the talks.

"Our president proceeded in the conversation from our fundamental interest in seeing bilateral relations get back to normal," Ushakov said. "As it was emphasized, it meets the interests of Russia, and we hope the interests of the US, and is extremely important from the point of view of ensuring international stability and security," he added.

"Proceeding from this, we consider the talks very useful, necessary and positive," he added.

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Ushakov said the talks had been long, open, quite friendly and businesslike. He said Kerry had relayed regards from the U.S. president to Putin. He quoted Kerry as saying President Obama was very interested in Putin’s receiving the state secretary. There was no written message, he added.

Ushakov also said a meeting of the two countries’ leaders was not discussed at talks, although possibilities for that did exist.

"A bilateral meeting was not discussed, but opportunities for this do exist in principle," he said referring to contacts within the framework of multi-lateral meetings. It could be a G20 summit in Antalya in November, or Russia’s participation in an anniversary session of the UN General Assembly, Ushakov said.

"No decision has been made to this regard," he specified. "A meeting was not discussed, but the international schedule gives some possibilities for that," he summed up.

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