Russia-US talks in Istanbul end after 6.5 hours

The talks between the Russian and US delegations on embassy work issues have ended in Istanbul after six and a half hours, a TASS correspondent reported.

The talks ended without comments for the press. At about 4:20 p.m. local time (1:20 p.m. GMT), the car with the Russian delegation left the territory of the residence of the US consul general in Istanbul, where the talks were held.

At the same time, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that information on the results of the talks "will be provided in one way or another."

The meeting was preceded by two preliminary technical contacts between Moscow and Washington on the issue.
In recent weeks, contacts between Russia and the United States have intensified. On February 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump spoke on the phone. The conversation, which lasted nearly an hour and a half, took place 23 days after Trump's inauguration. The presidents discussed a wide range of issues, including the Ukrainian conflict, bilateral relations, and the exchange of citizens. Then, on February 18, high-level Russian and US delegations met in Riyadh. After the meeting, Lavrov said that the sides had reached an agreement on the speedy appointment of the Russian ambassador to the US and the US ambassador to Russia, as well as on the removal of long-standing obstacles to the work of Russian diplomatic missions.