On October 9, 2017, a telephone conversation between the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson took place upon the American side’s request.

The top diplomats exchanged their outlooks on the situation in Syria, including the possibilities for Russia and the U.S. to cooperate, as well as to support the de-escalation zones in furtherance of a political settlement. The Russian side also indicated that it was imperative to wage a relentless fight against the ISIS terrorist group that is located in Syria. These efforts, according to the top Russian diplomat, are to be fulfilled by Russian troops.

Other international problems were discussed during the phone call. Minister Lavrov emphasized that the parties should not allow the escalation of the conflict on the Korean peninsula. The Russian Minister noted during the call that certain Ukrainian legislation aimed at reintegrating the Donbass provinces obviously contradicted the Minsk Agreement and undermined the peaceful settlement of the dispute. The Russian and the U.S. diplomats also exchanged thoughts on a meeting between the Assistant to the Russian President Vladislav Surkov and the United States Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker that took place in Belgrade on October 7, 2017. The two officials emphasized the importance of continuing contacts through the use of the Special Representative channel for drawing realistic approaches to the fulfillment of the Minsk accords.

After reviewing the broader picture in bilateral relations, Minister Lavrov stressed the importance of returning the Russian diplomatic properties illegally seized in the U.S., emphasizing that Russia reserves the right to initiate litigation, as well as to implement certain countermeasures.

The high-ranking officials agreed that the Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon will continue the dialogue on the difficult questions in the Russian-American relationship.

In conclusion, the Russian Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State agreed to stay in touch on important issues of the bilateral and the international agenda.