Antony Blinken to meet Russia's Sergei Lavrov

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will on Wednesday meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for the first time, on the margins of the Arctic Council ministerial meeting in Iceland, a Department of State spokesman said.

"The bilateral meeting will take place after the evening's final Arctic Council event and will provide an opportunity to test the proposition of whether we can achieve a relationship with Moscow that is more stable and predictable," Ned Price said in a statement on Tuesday evening, DPA news agency reported.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the face-to-face between Lavrov and Blinken was arranged to discuss "key issues of mutual relations and the international agenda."

A topic expected to be discussed will be a potential meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

The US president had suggested the two meet in a third country at a summit, but it is unclear whether Putin will accept the invitation. IANS

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