Trump to receive Russia’s foreign minister this week

Washington, May 10 (IANS) US President Donald Trump will receive Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov here on Wednesday, according to the White House.

This will be the highest level of contact between Trump and the Kremlin since the former’s arrival in the White House on January 20, according to the announcement on Tuesday.

The White House has not yet announced the agenda of the meeting between Trump and Lavrov, Efe news reported.

However, last week, the US President and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had identified Syria as the main focus of talks.

Lavrov will also meet his US counterpart Rex Tillerson and visit Washington before travelling to Alaska to participate in the 10th Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.

Lavrov and Tillerson are also expected to discuss efforts to reduce the escalation of violence in Syria and in eastern Ukraine.

Lavrov’s meeting with Trump comes a day after the White House fired FBI Director James Comey, who had probed possible links between Trump’s presidential campaign and the Kremlin.