Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that a second meeting with the US will be held in Istanbul aimed at normalising relations, Sabah reported.

Lavrov did not give an exact date for the meeting. He stressed that Russia and the US are currently focused on three issues: finding a solution to the conflict in Ukraine - now dealing with a moratorium on strikes targeting energy infrastructure - plus restoring the Black Sea Grain Initiative and removing "irritants" in bilateral ties.

According to Russia's top diplomat, these "irritants" significantly hamper the functioning of the Russian embassy in Washington and the U.S. embassy in Moscow.

"A meeting took place in Istanbul, and now a second one is being prepared. In the meantime, communication continues via phone calls and video conferences," he said.

The foreign minister stressed that the "problems with the embassy" date back to the Barack Obama administration in 2009-2017, just before the Trump administration's first term.

"I refrain from making predictions, notable progress has been made that reflects the determination of our American partners to remove these completely unacceptable obstacles to the smooth functioning of diplomacy in each other's capitals," Lavrov said. | BGNES