Russian FM to Visit US for Putin-Bush SummitRussian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov will pay a visit to the U.S. on May 17-19 to discuss preparations for a summit between the presidents of the two countries, a Russian Foreign Ministry news release said Friday.During his trip to Washington, Ivanov will hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on some principle issues of bilateral ties, especially the problems of strategic stability and missile defense, as well as the preparation for a summit of Presidents Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush. The ministers will also review the possibility of holding talks of experts on offensive strategic weapons and missile defense, restore the work of the joint working group on the Afghan problem, to start consultations between Russian and U.S. experts on the situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. Ivanov stressed that "considerable and orchestrated efforts are needed to overcome the current crisis, which is understood in Washington as well as in all European capitals." |
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