US Hopes to Hold Major Bilateral Meeting on Cybersecurity With Russia

A Deputy Coordinator for Cyber Issues from the US State Department said that the United States is willing to hold a high-level bilateral meeting with senior Russian officials to discuss cybersecurity issues.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States is willing to hold a high-level bilateral meeting with senior Russian officials to discuss cybersecurity issues, Deputy Coordinator for Cyber Issues in the Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Affairs at the US State Department told Sputnik on Monday.

"We had a bilateral last April, a major bilateral with a lot of very senior people, and I'm hoping we can have another one," Michele Markoff said.

Markoff noted that she regularly meets with her Russian counterpart, despite the fact that the major presidential commission was suspended.

"I think it's better to talk to Russia than not to talk to Russia," Michele Markoff said. "I said before that I thought Russia and the United States talking always leads to better outcomes than not talking. So I think we should talk more."

At bilateral consultations on April 21-22 in Geneva, high-ranking Russian and US officials agreed to boost practical cooperation in the fight against cyber threats.

The sides discussed drafting the norms and principles of responsible behavior in cyberspace, maintaining stability in the information space, and countering terrorism in the sphere of information technologies, according to the Russian Security Council.