Kremlin Open to Rubio-Lavrov Contacts During ASEAN Event in Manila
Diplomatic Engagements at ASEAN Gathering
MOSCOW, July 20 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that it would welcome contacts between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Manila this week where members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are gathering.
Potential Meeting Between Rubio and Lavrov
Rubio, who is in Manila from July 19-23, said at the weekend he would be ready to meet Lavrov on the sidelines of ASEAN-related events, but that he was not sure if such a meeting had been finalised.
Kremlin's Position on Diplomatic Talks
Asked on Monday about the possibility of such a meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated Moscow was in favour of the two top diplomats meeting.
Official Statement from Kremlin Spokesman
"Contacts through the ministries of foreign affairs and diplomatic channels are of course largely of a technical nature, but if there were to be contact at the level of foreign ministers, we would certainly welcome it," Peskov told reporters.
Efforts to Arrange the Meeting
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told the RIA state news agency later on Monday that officials were working on setting up a possible meeting between Lavrov and Rubio on the sidelines of the ASEAN events.
(Reporting by Dmitry AntonovEditing by Andrew Osborn)
