SOCHI. June 22 (Interfax) - Moscow and Washington sporadically exchange messages as part of the dialogue on arms control, but their bilateral dialogue is mostly situational, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday.
"We sporadically exchange messages with Washington [in the context of arms control], and I assume they are well aware of the essence of our stance. Naturally, we have familiarized ourselves with what was said for the record by high-ranking representatives of the White House. There are no grounds for additional steps at this point," Ryabkov told reporters in Sochi.
"On the whole, the dialogue with the United States is strictly situational. At present it concerns the details of how [our] diplomatic presence functions, ours in the United States and the Americans' in Russia," Ryabkov said.
"It is Washington that is not ready for a more serious discussion of any topics," he said.
"They even refuse to send their representatives to Russia, which, as they say, is a matter of principle. Still, that's their choice. We have enough channels available to deliver our demarches and messages. We hope nevertheless that officials in Washington, those responsible for decision-making in that country, pay attention to the messages coming from us," Ryabkov said.