Moscow and Washington held talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told journalists at the Valdai discussion forum, adding that the meeting was aimed at discussing what he described as “irritants” in bilateral relations.

“Relevant department heads” were involved in the talks, Ryabkov said, without revealing any names though adding that it was a regular meeting. According to the deputy minister, “irritants” refers to issues relating to the functioning of the Russian diplomatic missions in the US and vice versa.

Russia and the US resumed these “technical” diplomatic contacts following a pause, the official said. “This is not a political signal that we are resuming dialogue with the US on major issues,” Ryabkov explained, adding that “it is merely a routine issue.”

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon