Russia-US Hope to Agree on Strategic Stability Dialogue Meeting Soon: Moscow

Russia hopes that the agenda, framework and timing of the meeting on strategic stability dialogue with the United States will be agreed on soon, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik on Saturday.

"A fundamental agreement on resumption of Moscow-Washington dialogue on strategic stability was achieved in the course of contacts between [Foreign] Minister [Sergey Lavrov] and the Secretary of State [Rex Tillerson], and then confirmed at the meeting of deputy foreign minister and then-Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon on May 8 in New York," Ryabkov said, expressing hope that the details of the meeting would be agreed on in the near future, Sputnik reported.

The Russian official added that it was high time for Russia and the United States to assess the issue of strategic stability in a comprehensive way and set a road map to reach progress in dialogue.

Ryabkov added that Washington might consider such an approach to be "too ambitious and inclusive," though Moscow believed it should be like this.

"Russia and the United States, as the two major nuclear powers, bear a special responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, strategic stability. And we will be holding this dialogue, basing on understanding of our responsibility," the diplomat said.