Russia Open To Fair, Mutually Beneficial Cooperation With US On Cybersecurity - Antonov

Moscow is open for fair and mutually advantageous dialogue with the United States on cybersecurity, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told Sputnik

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th July, 2021) Moscow is open for fair and mutually advantageous dialogue with the United States on cybersecurity, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told Sputnik.

"In any case, we hope that regular substantive communication will help to remove the concerns that have accumulated in this area. Russia is always open for honest and mutually beneficial cooperation, without politicization and hidden agendas. We take a responsible approach to cybersecurity issues. The proof of that is that Russia became the first state to develop and submit to the UN on July 27 a draft Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Criminal Purposes," Antonov said.

The US is focused on ransomware in the cybertalks with Russia, while Moscow aims at having a comprehensive dialogue, the ambassador noted.

"American colleagues, however, demonstrate a selective approach, preferring to focus these consultations on issues related to cyberextortion. We hope that the dialogue will nevertheless acquire a comprehensive character, since the problem of information security is much broader," Antonov added.

Earlier in July, US President Joe Biden discussed ransomware attacks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an hour-long phone call, which became their first direct engagement since last month's summit in Geneva. Biden underscored the need for Russia to take action to crack down on cybercriminal groups allegedly operating in the country.

Russia has repeatedly denied any role in the latest cyberattacks against the US.