Russian and U.S. diplomats will meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss outstanding issues related to their embassies, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has upended U.S. foreign policy since taking office last month, reaching out to President Vladimir Putin and initiating high-level talks with Moscow for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The upcoming meeting aims to resolve diplomatic disputes stemming from the mutual expulsion of embassy staff under previous U.S. administrations.
"Such a meeting will take place tomorrow in Istanbul. I think its results will show how quickly and effectively we can move forward," Lavrov said during a visit to Qatar.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry source later confirmed that a "technical-level meeting will be held between Russian and American delegations in Istanbul tomorrow."
"Turkey is ready to provide all kinds of support to peace efforts, including hosting talks," the source told AFP.
Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on last week in Riyadh, Sudi Arabia, where they agreed to begin talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
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