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RIA Novosti
Moscow will not curtail contacts with the United States on the normalization of bilateral dialogue after the adoption by Congress of the bill on sanctions, said RIA Novosti Deputy foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
“No,” said he, answering the question whether Moscow to turn off the format, “Ryabkov Shannon” (Shannon — U.S. Deputy Secretary of state) after approval by the house of representatives of the Congress of the bill on sanctions against Russia, North Korea and Iran.
“We do never do not turn,” — said Ryabkov.
He recalled that when, after the expansion of US sanctions lists in the June round of meetings with Shannon in St. Petersburg did not take place in Moscow explained that the round was not cancelled, it was postponed, “thus sending a political message to Washington.”
“The question of how what signals there are perceived, you can return from different perspectives, to discuss, to argue, but the fact is: we did this in order to indicate our rejection of this never-ending series of actions, Washington in the sanctions area. But nothing was canceled, not closed, not blocked, not doing it now. We will continue the dialogue, but the question is, which topics, is there a willingness of the US administration to seek a positive agenda and work on it on the background of over-the-top brand of Russophobia, which took possession of politicians in both houses, which creates all new problems for our dialogue,” said Deputy foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.