PRESS RELEASE

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Huntsman, Ryabkov Discuss U.S.-Russian Relations at Russian Academy of Sciences

Dec. 19, 2017 (EIRNS)—A more serious approach to the question of U.S.-Russian relations than that presented in the just-released U.S. National Strategic Strategy document was expressed by both the U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov at a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences yesterday in Moscow.

"It is no secret that we are experiencing one of the most difficult periods in the U.S.-Russia bilateral relationship," Ambassador Huntsman said,

"but I am truly confident that the minds and the will of many of the people here in this room are up to the challenge of improving relations between our countries, and I say it is for the sake of global stability. It is not an option, it is an imperative,"

TASS reported.

"As large nations with global responsibilities and as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, we must endeavor to improve relations to effectively deal with a rapidly changing world,"

he specified.

Ryabkov’s starting point was also that "a slide towards confrontation" must be prevented "by all means."

Speaking of Russia, the United States and Canada, too, Ryabkov said that

"on the condition of formulating approaches to relations with each other exclusively on the basis of equality and mutual respect, I am certain, we will be able to overcome the current problems and get out of the crisis.

"We bear special responsibility for maintaining peace and security, for settling a number of regional and local conflicts and for shaping a constructive, positive agenda to work on in the future. We must prevent a slide towards confrontation by all means,"

he stressed.