Russia tells Pompeo: Let’s reboot our ties

SOCHI: Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told US secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Tuesday it was time for Moscow and Washington to put aside years of mistrust and find a way to work together constructively.

Pompeo is in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi for talks with his Russian counterpart, and later on Tuesday will also hold consultations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ties between the two countries have been poisoned by allegations - denied by Moscow - that Russia tried to influence the results of the 2016 US presidential election, and by differences over Venezuela, Iran, Syria and Ukraine.

“We see that there are suspicions and prejudices,” Lavrov told Pompeo at the start of their talks.

“This hinders both your security and our security and causes concern around the world. We think it is time to build a new and more constructive matrix for our relations,” Lavrov said.

“We are ready to do that if our US colleagues are ready to reciprocate... Let’s try, and see what happens.”

Pompeo’s visit represents the first high-level contact between Moscow and Washington since US special counsel Robert Muller submitted a report examining the nature of Russia’s role in the 2016 US election.

His inquiry had cast a pall over Us-russian relations, and Russia had expressed hope that Washington would have scope to build friendlier relations with Moscow once it was out of the way.

Responding to Lavrov’s remarks, Pompeo said, “I’m here today because President Trump is committed to improving this relationship.”