MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Sergei Lavrov in an interview with RIA Novosti said:
"We are open to dialogue at any time in a variety of formats, but we are not forcing events."
"Of course, we reacted positively to Donald Trump's position in favor of establishing normal cooperation with Russia, as he declared during the campaign," Lavrov said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump underscored the need to "rectify the currently very poor state of Russian-US relations" in a November 14 phone conversation, the diplomat added.
Russia Ready for Counterterrorist Work With Trump, Including in Syria
"With regard to our work with US President-elect Donald Trump's team, we are ready to cooperate in the fight against terrorism," Lavrov told RIA Novosti.
He underscored that Moscow's readiness includes and extends beyond Syria.
The US State Department announced on October 3 that Washington was cutting off participation in bilateral channels with Russia on sustaining a ceasefire agreement in Syria.
'Naive' to Expect Changes in Cooperation on Syria From Obama Team
It would be naive to expect outgoing US President Barack Obama's administration to change its approach on anti-terrorist cooperation in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"We noticed that US Secretary of State John Kerry, in a December 18 interview with the Boston Globe, openly acknowledged that the responsibility for the failure of the agreement lies with members of the US cabinet who were 'bitterly opposed' to any interaction with Russia," Lavrov said.
Kerry said in the interview he regrets and thinks "it was a mistake" that the Russian-US agreement on flights was scuttled. The article mentions US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter as the official with whom Kerry has "clashed" inside the Obama administration.
"You obviously know who the Secretary of State had in mind. Therefore, it would be naive to expect any other approach from the current administration in the remaining weeks before the end of its term," Lavrov stressed.
Possible Putin-Trump Meeting Needs Careful Preparation
Careful preparation is needed ahead of a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"The same applies to organizing the summit, in any event requiring careful preparation. We should wait when the new president takes office on January 20, 2017, and when the channels of dialogue with the Republican administration start fully working," Lavrov told RIA Novosti.
Putin said at an annual press conference last Friday that it would be "inexpedient" to meet Trump unprepared, noting the importance of waiting for the president-elect to form his team.
