Interfax: McFaul: Washington eyeing Russia-US summit in Sochi this summer

File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama Seated Before Russian and U.S. Flags

MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) – Washington is preparing to hold a Russia-U.S. summit in Sochi this summer on the G8 sidelines, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said.

“We’re working very hard to make the agenda rich enough to justify a summit with an eye toward the G-8 Summit in Sochi in the summer,” he said in an interview with Interfax.

The United States explained the cancellation of the Russia-U.S. summit scheduled for September saying that the agenda was not rich enough. McFaul was asked whether the situation had changed now. “I believe we have new lines of cooperation. Most certainly Iran, most certainly Syria, with particular respect to their removal and destruction of chemical weapons. Those were pieces that were not as well developed last summer,” he replied.

“We are also in close consultation and much more serious negotiations with the Russian government to develop a much more robust economic agenda,” McFaul said. “First Deputy Shuvalov’s visit to Washington was a very important visit, , and the subsequent meetings that our teams had in Davos last week – Mr. Rulikaev and Mr. Dvorkovich meet with Ambassador Frohman and Secretary Fritsker, and that’s good.”

“It feels like we’re starting to gain momentum on that,” he underscored.

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