Tillerson Tells Lavrov Sanctions to Stay Until Minsk Deal Implemented

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Washington that US sanctions on Russia will remain until the Minsk agreement is fully implemented, the Department of State said in a press release on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The two diplomats met for more than an hour in Washington, DC on Wednesday before heading to the White House for a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

"On Ukraine, Secretary Tillerson stressed the need for progress toward full implementation of the Minsk agreements," the release stated. "Sanctions on Russia will remain in place until Moscow reverses the actions that triggered them."

Tillerson and Lavrov agreed in a meeting to continue dialogue on areas of mutual concern, including stability.

"The United States and Russia agreed to continue discussions to resolve other issues of bilateral concern, including strategic stability," the release stated.

Tillerson and Lavrov spoke about the importance of allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Syria.

"The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the importance of defeating ISIS [Daesh], de-escalating the violence in Syria and ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches hundreds of thousands of civilians throughout the country," the release stated.

"The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the importance of defeating ISIS [Daesh], de-escalating the violence in Syria and ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches hundreds of thousands of civilians throughout the country," the release stated.

Tillerson and Lavrov reaffirmed in a meeting on Wednesday their support for the UN-led political process on Syria in Geneva.

"[The] Secretary and Foreign Minister restated support for the UN-led political process in Geneva, which is central to international efforts to bring about an enduring resolution to the [Syrian] conflict," the release stated.