Moscow says Russian, U.S. presidents to meet when time comes

(Interfax – MOSCOW, October 9, 2013) Moscow expects that a meeting between the Russian and U.S. presidents will take place and will become another important stage in the development of bilateral relations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“We do not need meetings just for the sake of having meetings. The Russian president has said this very clearly. We conduct intensive work with our U.S. colleagues in a variety of fields,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a briefing in Moscow on Thursday.

Such a meeting could take place “when there is a wish – Mr. Obama has been invited to visit Russia – and when the development of our relations reaches a stage when everyone feels it necessary to do so,” Lukashevich said.

Russia “has not understood and has even been disappointed with the fact that the visit [of the U.S. president to Russia] had to be postponed,” the diplomat said.

Bilateral treaties, the presidents’ statements and “a number of materials and agreements” were being prepared for the meeting, Lukashevich said.

“We expect that this active work has not been lost and will be accomplished in time,” Lukashevich said.