Summit on agenda as Bolton in Moscow

Visit to Russia by Trump adviser marks an important step toward shift in ties

The ongoing visit by US National Security Adviser John Bolton to Moscow may bring a thaw to relations between Russia and the United States, Russian experts said, as he tries to lay the groundwork for a possible summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

Bolton arrived in Moscow on Wednesday. Bolton met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks that reportedly lasted two hours, after which he headed to the Kremlin for a meeting with Putin.

Bolton is also expected to meet Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov and top officials of the Security Council, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, officials are also expected to discuss the situation in Syria with Bolton.

"Bolton's visit to Moscow is quite important to both countries, because it will likely bring about some hopeful changes in relations between Moscow and Washington, and will lay the groundwork for renewed dialogue," said Andrei Bystritsky, chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai International Discussions Club.

Bystritsky said Bolton's visit will mark an important step in a shift in relations.

"There's a will (from both sides) for discussions and let's hope it can be materialized. I think Bolton's visit is important because it will help draw up an agenda for future Russian-US dialogue," he said.

'No surprise'

Yury Subbotin, a Russian political analyst, said that since Trump has met many leaders of world powers this year, "it is no surprise that Trump may have put the meeting with Putin on his schedule".

Russian columnist Alec Luhn agreed. He said Bolton's major task during his visit was to pave the way for the Putin-Trump meeting.

The Kremlin has denied a report by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph that Trump may visit Russia during the ongoing World Cup final as "distorted" and "inaccurate".

But Luhn predicted that there still might be a possibility that the meeting could coincide with the sports event.

In a separate development, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak visited Washington to talk with two top US officials on Tuesday about energy issues and US sanctions on Russia.

Novak met US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on the sidelines of the World Gas Conference. They agreed to maintain contacts and cooperation in this area, "because energy has the potential of becoming the driving force for our relations", Novak told a media briefing in Washington.

Bystritsky said the recent frequent high-level interaction between Russia and the US indicates that Trump is seeking to improve relations with Russia, a promise he made during his presidential election campaign.

"He has got more freedom in maneuvering in foreign policy now - the Republicans are gaining the upper hand in Congress, Trump's support from the public is rising and the US economy is doing quite well," Bystritsky said, adding that bilateral relations in the energy sector may be improved in the future.

AP contributed to this story.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/28/2018 page12)