Representatives for both the U.S. and Russia expressed that talks in Istanbul Thursday had made progress toward a normalization of relations between the two nuclear powers.
A U.S. delegation, headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Russia and Central Europe Sonata Coulter, held talks with a Russian delegation led by Aleksandr Darchiyev, new Russian ambassador to Washington D.C., in a second round of meetings focusing on reestablishing normal diplomatic relations.
In a continuation of a February meeting described as “constructive,” the main sticking point for the Americans was “the Russian Federation’s policy prohibiting the employment of local staff,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
“The heads of the delegations acknowledged the presence of serious ‘irritants’ left over from the previous U.S. administration, which must be addressed promptly to rebuild confidence and restore full-fledged interstate relations,” Darchiev told Russian news agency TASS.
The delegations exchanged notes to finalize an understanding to ensure the stability of diplomatic banking for Russian and U.S. bilateral missions. They also agreed on the importance of resuming direct flights from Washington to Moscow for business and “contacts between communities and people,” the ambassador said.
Moscow and Washington will now work on the initiatives presented in Istanbul in preparation for the next meeting, the time and place for which has not yet been determined.
The question of Ukraine was not part of the agenda.
