Russian Foreign Ministry Comments on Lavrov-Tillerson Talks

The talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary Rex Tillerson in Bonn were productive and the sides discussed fields of possible cooperation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On February 16, Lavrov met the new US Secretary of State for the first time. The sides confirmed the existence of common interests in the sphere of the fight against terrorism.

"The meeting was dedicated to the general review of what is on the agenda between the two countries in the sphere of foreign policy. Spheres of mutual interest, where we could and need to cooperate, were mentioned. I think, they both assess the meeting as productive. The sides noted the relevance of cooperation in the sphere of fighting international terrorism, which particularly implied Syria and counterterrorist measures in other regions," Zakharova said in a interview with the Dozhd TV channel (TV Rain).

The spokeswoman added that the sides had discussed cooperation on other international issues such as Afghanistan, Ukraine and North Korea, as well as bilateral relations.

On February 1, the US Senate confirmed Tillerson 46-33 as US secretary of state. Lavrov has already expressed readiness to closely work with his new US counterpart.