February 27 Meeting in Istanbul

Following the agreement between Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov to initiate talks on issues affecting the operations of our respective diplomatic missions, delegations from both countries met on February 27 in Istanbul, Turkey. The U.S. delegation was led by Sonata Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Russia and Central Europe, and the Russian delegation was led by Ministry of Foreign Affairs North Atlantic Department Director Ambassador Aleksandr Darchiyev.

The United States raised concerns regarding access to banking and contracted services as well as the need to ensure stable and sustainable staffing levels at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Through constructive discussions, both sides identified concrete initial steps to stabilize bilateral mission operations in these areas.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Coulter and Ambassador Darchiyev agreed to hold a follow-up meeting on these issues in the near term, with the date, location, and representation to be determined.