Lavrov, Tillerson Meet on Sidelines of ASEAN Forum

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson started their meeting in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Sunday.

MANILA (Sputnik) — This is the first time Lavrov and Tillerson meet after the new round of US sanctions against Russia was imposed.

The Russian foreign minister and the US state secretary are expected to discuss the issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as the topics of international agenda, including the situation in Syria.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump enacted a new batch of sanctions on North Korea, Iran, and Russia. The sanctions over Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election target the country's defense and economic sectors and restrict dealings with Russian banks and energy companies.

The law also limits the US president's ability to ease any sanctions on Russia by requiring Congress's approval to lift any restrictions.