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Russian, US top diplomats to meet after Arctic Council events on May 19

Blinken plans to discuss bilateral relations and Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline project during talks with his Russian counterpart

© Russian Foreign MInistry's press service/TASS

WASHINGTON, May 19. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Reykjavik on May 19, following the official program of the Arctic Council’s ministerial meeting, US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price told TASS on Tuesday.

"Secretary Blinken will have an opportunity to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov tomorrow night on the margins of the Arctic Council. The bilateral meeting will take place after the evening's final Arctic Council event and will provide an opportunity to test the proposition of whether we can achieve a relationship with Moscow that is more stable and predictable," he said.

Earlier, the US Department of State said Blinken planned to discuss bilateral relations and Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline project during talks with his Russian counterpart.

The ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council will take place in the capital of Iceland on May 19-20. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sand US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived to Iceland late on Monday, are expected to attend. During the event in Reykjavik, Russia will assume the rotating Arctic Council presidency for 2021-2023.

The Arctic Council comprises Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Norway, Russia, the United Staes, Finland and Sweden. 12 non-Arctic countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, India, China and France, have the observer status.

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