MOSCOW, June 17. /TASS/. Russia and the US are putting the process of normalizing their relations on hold, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said in response to a question from TASS.
"It was originally agreed to hold the next meeting on the normalization of relations in Moscow, but later the Americans suggested a break," he told a news briefing.
"Now, obviously, some kind of an agreement will be reached between the [US] State Department and the [Russian] Foreign Ministry on where and when to hold the next meeting," Ushakov said. "So far, the issue has been somewhat suspended."
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the planned negotiations between Russia and the United States aimed at eliminating irritants in relations had been postponed due to Washington's desire to "take a break." Zakharova expressed hope that this pause would not be too long.
On April 10, the second round of Russian-American consultations was held in Istanbul. The US delegation was led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Sonata Coulter, the Russian delegation by Ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiyev.
The first round of consultations took place on February 27, also in Istanbul.