Russian foreign minister announces meeting with US top diplomat

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced that he will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 23.

He said the meeting had already been agreed upon and would take place in the first half of the day, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

"We briefly met Marco Rubio at a reception yesterday and confirmed that the meeting will take place tomorrow morning. I hope we will have an opportunity to share our impressions afterwards," he noted following ASEAN-related events in the Philippines.

Lavrov made it clear that he intends to ask Rubio about US President Donald Trump's recent remarks suggesting a possible near-term settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, adding that the talks would be "useful in any case."

The Russian foreign minister also said Moscow assumes Washington has not abandoned the proposals discussed in Anchorage, while accusing the United States of directly assisting Ukraine in targeting sites inside Russia, including civilian infrastructure.

Lavrov further addressed the continuing hostilities around the Strait of Hormuz, saying Russia hopes to see the conflict brought to an end because of its impact on the global economy.

He also commented on the U.S.-Saudi agreement on cooperation in nuclear energy technologies, noting that Saudi Arabia does not require U.S. permission to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov