Lavrov, Tillerson May Meet at UNGA in September - US Ambassador to Russia

Russian Foreign Minister and his US counterpart may meet on the sidelines of the UNGA next month, US Ambassador to Russia John Tefft said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson may meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City in September, US Ambassador to Russia John Tefft said Monday.

"Sure they could. I think the foreign ministers usually see each other… Nothing has been arranged or scheduled, but often they meet in New York," Tefft told the Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) radio station, asked whether Lavrov and Tillerson could meet during the UN General Assembly.

At the same time, the US diplomat noted that nothing had been discussed by the moment.

"Not yet. We've not discussed this timing, but I suspect we will," Tefft stressed.

Lavrov and Tillerson last met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila on August 6.

Asked whether the telephone conversation between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, is expected any time soon, the ambassador replied that he did not know anything about that.

"Not that I am aware of," Tefft noted.

In early August, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no contacts between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump were planned in near future. Putin and Trump have held their first official meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in early July.

The 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly will kick off at the UN headquarters in New York on September 12. The General Debate will begin on September 19.