U.S. and Russian delegations held talks in Istanbul on Thursday on normalising the work of their diplomatic missions after the struggle in Ukraine triggered the largest confrontation between Moscow and the West for the reason that depths of the Cold War.
A car carrying the U.S. delegation left the Russian consulate constructing in central Istanbul on Thursday afternoon, some six hours after they arrived. The Russian delegation remained within the constructing.
The talks had been to be led by Russia’s new ambassador to Washington, Alexander Darchiev, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter, Russia’s international ministry mentioned.
The essential focus, in line with Moscow and Washington, is restoring the work of diplomatic missions after relations between the 2 nuclear powers had been difficult by years of rows, mutual claims of intimidation and even the freezing of diplomatic property.
“Ukraine is not, absolutely not on the agenda,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned on Tuesday.
“These talks are solely focused on our embassy operations, not on normalizing a bilateral relationship overall, which can only happen, as we’ve noted, once there is peace between Russia and Ukraine.”
Both Moscow and Washington have complained lately in regards to the difficulties of getting credentials for his or her diplomats, making the operation of their embassies extraordinarily tough.
Russia has mentioned that even paying diplomats has grow to be tough resulting from Western restrictions, whereas U.S. diplomats say their actions are restricted in Russia. Both sides have complained of intimidation.
Among the problems is diplomatic property.
Washington has put six Russian properties below restrictions, together with the Killenworth property on Long Island, the Pioneer Point “dacha” in Maryland, the Russian consulates in San Francisco and Seattle and the commerce missions in Washington and New York.
Source: www.anews.com.tr