Russia, US top diplomats discuss bilateral ties, international issues

MOSCOW - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday discussed prospects of Russia-US relations and possible cooperation on Syria and the Korean Peninsula, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

During a phone conversation, Lavrov and Pompeo exchanged views on the prospects for further normalizing relations between the two countries "on an equal and mutually beneficial basis", a ministry statement said.

The diplomats also discussed a number of pressing international issues, including, in particular, possible interaction of Russia and the US with other countries to address humanitarian problems in Syria as well as to promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to the statement.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a full-fledged summit in Finland's capital Helsinki, at which the two leaders discussed a wide range of topics including Russia-US relations, national security and top international issues.

Pompeo on Friday confirmed Trump's continuing of talks with Putin and said that the two leaders began discussing the return of millions of Syrian refugees.