Russian, US lawmakers begin meeting in Washington to revive bilateral relations

A Russian lawmaker said on Thursday that a Russian parliamentary delegation has begun talks with its US counterparts in Washington, with the Kremlin earlier stating that the much-needed contacts will help contribute to reviving bilateral relations.

In an interview with Russian state-run news agency Tass, the deputy speaker of the State Duma, or the lower chamber of Russia's parliament, Boris Chernyshov, said the contacts will make it possible to outline Moscow's position to US lawmakers.

"We arrived for negotiations without illusions, but with a clear position and readiness for open dialogue. Our agenda for the meeting with Congress is very clear — to pave the path for dialogue between the two world powers along parliamentary lines. Our key goal is to convey the position of our country and our citizens," he said.

Russia expects the dialogue to be built on the principles of respect and equality, he emphasized.

"We are focused on returning with results that are important for Russia," Chernyshov said.

On his Telegram channel, he wrote that negotiations between State Duma deputies and American congressmen had begun.

"We are starting negotiations with the US Congress," the deputy said.

Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the visit by Russian lawmakers to the US will contribute to further reviving bilateral relations.

Peskov described the dialogue as much-needed and crucial, noting that it had been completely frozen. He expressed hope that these first tentative steps would contribute to reviving bilateral relations.

The Russian Embassy to the US separately reported that Russian lawmakers are visiting the US at the invitation of Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna.