Control of the proliferation of arms, the central issue of a new round of talks in Geneva between Russia and the United States

The second round of strategic consultations between Russia and the United States ended Thursday in Geneva with “intense” and “substantive” discussions. in which it was decided to create two bilateral expert groups to advance arms controlsaid both delegations.

It was the second meeting since Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden meet in June, also in the Swiss capital.

In a joint statement, The US and Russia said these working groups will begin their meetings after a third round of dialogues., which until now were headed by US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and her Russian counterpart Sergei Riabkov.

“Delegations further agreed that the two working groups would start their meetings, which would be followed by a third plenary session“The press release reported.

Cited by the Russian agency RIA Novosti, Riabkov noted Thursday that after these consultations “Russia now has a clear understanding of the tasks that the United States wants to solve within the framework of the bilateral dialogue”..

The Russian delegation, added the Deputy Foreign Minister, He gave detailed answers to questions of interest to Americans and named issues on which he would like to receive “clarification.”

“Despite the differences that exist, there are many, there is the desire and the will to move the process forward ”, told Russian news agencies. “It’s slow progress. But that in itself is also good ”.

A senior State Department official said the meeting It was “very interactive and broad” and covered multiple topics, although he declined to elaborate.

“We think it was a very productive meeting “he told reporters on condition of anonymity.

The delegations met within the framework of the Bilateral dialogue on strategic stability to which the two presidents have committed themselves to “lead an integrated, deliberate and solid process”.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries have suffered a severe blow since Biden came to power. Last March, the US president called Putin a “murderer”, wishing him “good health” instead. In May, the Russian government declared the United States a “non-friend” country with the Czech Republic.

However, following a June summit in Geneva, the two leaders agreed to engage in a dialogue that would bring positions closer between Washington and Moscow.

Since cyber attacks against US entities and interference in the last two US presidential elections up to human rights violations and attacks against Ukraine and other European countries, the list of US accusations against the Kremlin is long.

Putin, however, insists that he is only challenging the hegemony of the United States, and he has denied any connection to what the United States claims to be Russia-based hacking and ransomware gangs, or participating in the deaths of many opponents during two decades in power.

(With information from EFE, AFP and EuropaPress)

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