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Austrian leader says it will be ‘great honor’ to host Putin-Biden summit

Austria is already in contact with Russia and the United States on the issue of discussing a potential venue for the Putin-Biden summit, Sebastian Kurz said

© EPA-EFE/CHRISTIAN BRUNA

BERLIN, April 17. /TASS/. Austria will consider it a great honor, if Russia and the United States decide to hold a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden in Vienna, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Saturday.

Austria is already in contact with Russia and the United States on the issue of discussing a potential venue for the Putin-Biden summit, he said.

"We should not overestimate our role and we are not acting as a mediator. But there are always neutral countries that are chosen for a dialogue and negotiations," Kurz said in a video interview for the German web portal Pioneer, speaking on the issue of whether Vienna could become a neutral venue for the Russia-US summit.

"For the entire world, for the whole of Europe, it will be good if such a summit takes place. It is not important where it will be held. Naturally, if it takes place in Austria, in Vienna, this will be a great honor for us," he noted.

Vienna is one of the cities that is being discussed as a venue for holding the Russia-US summit, Kurz stressed. "If it takes place, several cities are now being considered and Vienna is one of them," the Austrian chancellor specified.

On April 13, Putin and Biden held the second telephone conversation at the US initiative since the American leader assumed office. As the Kremlin press office reported, the leaders of both countries discussed bilateral relations and some international issues. The US White House informed that Biden suggested holding a personal meeting with Putin "in a third country" in the coming months.

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Vladimir Putin Joseph Biden Austria

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