U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Russia after attending the G-7 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Italy next week, the State Department announced Wednesday.
Following the conclusion of the meeting on April 11, Tillerson will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss Ukraine, counterterrorism efforts, and bilateral relations.
"This trip is part of our effort to maintain direct lines of communication with senior Russian officials and to ensure U.S. views are clearly conveyed, including on next steps in Minsk implementation," Mark Toner, acting spokesperson for the State Department, said in the statement.
The Russian foreign ministry confirmed the trip, noting that it would be the first time it would host Tillerson as the top diplomat under the Trump administration.
The statement released Wednesday echoed the issues to be discussed, including the fight against terrorism, Syria, North Korea, and others. "The situation in Ukraine will not be overlooked, with an emphasis on the need for Kyiv to observe its obligations under the Minsk agreements," the statement read.
The G-7 meeting in Lucca, Italy April 9-11 is a precursor for the G-7 Leaders' Summit which President Donald Trump is slated to attend next month.
美国国务院星期三宣布，国务卿蒂勒森将于下周在意大利出席七国集团外长会议后前往俄罗斯访问。
在外长会议4月11日结束后，蒂勒森将前往莫斯科会见俄罗斯外长拉夫罗夫，讨论乌克兰、反恐努力和双边关系。
国务院代理发言人特纳在声明中表示：“这次出访是我们努力与俄罗斯高级官员保持直接沟通的一部分，并确保美国的意见得到明确的传达，包括明斯克协议实施的后续步骤。”
俄罗斯外交部确认了这次行程，并指出，这将是首次把蒂勒森作为川普政府最高外交官进行接待。
周三的声明同样列举了双方要讨论的问题，包括打击恐怖主义、叙利亚、朝鲜和其他一些问题。声明说：“乌克兰局势不容忽视，重点在于基辅需要遵守明斯克协议规定的义务。”
4月9日至11日在意大利卢卡举行的外长会议是川普总统将于下月出席的七国集团峰会的前奏。