Russian Envoy To US Says He Hopes To Meet With Congress Leaders

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said on Friday that he hopes to meet soon with leaders of both chambers of Congress to discuss ways to mend frayed bilateral relations.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th November, 2018) Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said on Friday that he hopes to meet soon with leaders of both chambers of Congress to discuss ways to mend frayed bilateral relations.

"In the nearest time, I wish to meet with the leadership of the House of Representatives and Senate for a serious discussion on ways to mend the Russia-US relations, restore inter-parliamentary dialogue between our countries," Antonov said at a meeting of the US-Russia business Council in New York.

The Russian envoy emphasized that stable and positive bilateral relations are important not only for both countries, but also the entire world. He noted that Russia and the US are the two countries with the largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons, and both are permanent members of the UN Security Council.

"Lack of a full-scale bilateral dialogue is not only abnormal, but also dangerous, considering the current international 'turbulence' and multiple regional crises," he said.

Washington has accused Russia of meddling in the 2016 presidential election in order to influence the results of the vote in favor of then-Republican candidate Donald Trump. The United States has also accused Russian hackers of targeting email accounts of the US Democratic Party.

Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, arguing that the claims have never been substantiated and insisting that Moscow does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.