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Lavrov meets Boris Johnson in first UK foreign secretary visit to Moscow in 5 years | Lavrov meets Boris Johnson in first UK foreign secretary visit to Moscow in 5 years |
(about 1 hour later) | |
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. He is the first British foreign secretary to visit Russia in five years, amid strained relations between the two countries. | |
During the joint news conference with his Russian counterpart, Johnson said that he is “a committed Russophile,” despite the fact that Russia and the UK are going through a “very difficult patch” in their relations. | |
Lavrov said he trusts Johnson and admitted he had seen "no hostility" and called the "friendly" nature of the talks helpful. | |
READ MORE: ‘Pragmatist with no principles’: Boris Johnson may face problems finding common language in Moscow | READ MORE: ‘Pragmatist with no principles’: Boris Johnson may face problems finding common language in Moscow |
The two nations have fallen out over a range of issues, including the Ukrainian crisis and the Syrian war. | The two nations have fallen out over a range of issues, including the Ukrainian crisis and the Syrian war. |
Johnson and Lavrov have been expected to discuss UK-Russia ties, as well as international issues, cooperation on Syria, and the North Korean crisis, among other things. | |
“I hope to hold today an open, direct conversation, and I consider outlining specific steps on invigoration of our relations as the main task of this meeting,” Lavrov said as he opened talks with his British counterpart. He added that UK-Russian relations are at “a very low point,” but not on Moscow’s initiative. However, the two countries also have “mutual concerns” that should be addressed. | “I hope to hold today an open, direct conversation, and I consider outlining specific steps on invigoration of our relations as the main task of this meeting,” Lavrov said as he opened talks with his British counterpart. He added that UK-Russian relations are at “a very low point,” but not on Moscow’s initiative. However, the two countries also have “mutual concerns” that should be addressed. |
Speaking to the Russian foreign minister ahead of their talks, Boris Johnson said that London and Moscow should work on relations and openly talk about the difficulties. | Speaking to the Russian foreign minister ahead of their talks, Boris Johnson said that London and Moscow should work on relations and openly talk about the difficulties. |
Iran is a mutual interest for the UK and Russia, and the Iranian nuclear deal should be an area of bilateral cooperation, Johnson said. The agreement on the country’s nuclear program, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was widely criticized by US President Donald Trump, who refused to recertify Iran’s compliance with the accord in October, citing “multiple violations” by Tehran. | Iran is a mutual interest for the UK and Russia, and the Iranian nuclear deal should be an area of bilateral cooperation, Johnson said. The agreement on the country’s nuclear program, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was widely criticized by US President Donald Trump, who refused to recertify Iran’s compliance with the accord in October, citing “multiple violations” by Tehran. |