Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 15 February, at the initiative of the American side, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Following up on the 12 February talks between the presidents of Russia and the United States, the two top diplomats agreed to maintain communication channels to address long-standing issues in U.S.-Russia relations.

In particular, they discussed removing unilateral barriers inherited from the previous administration that have hindered mutually beneficial trade, economic, and investment cooperation.

Both sides expressed a shared interest in coordinating actions on pressing international issues, including the resolution of the Ukraine conflict, the situation in Palestine, as well as crises in the Middle East and other regions.

The conversation also touched on restrictions imposed in 2016 by the Obama administration on Russian diplomatic missions in the U.S., which led to reciprocal measures from Moscow. In this regard, the parties agreed to arrange an expert-level meeting in the near future to coordinate concrete steps for restoring the normal functioning of diplomatic missions in both countries.

Lavrov and Rubio reaffirmed their commitment to restoring a respectful intergovernmental dialogue in line with the direction set by the presidents. They also agreed to maintain regular contact, including preparations for a high-level U.S.-Russia summit.