ISTANBUL

Russia and the US have agreed to hold a third round of talks this fall on issues related to the functioning of embassies, visas, and diplomatic property, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following his participation in the high-level week of the 80th UN General Assembly.

“Our dialogue on visas, the functioning of embassies, this (Russian diplomatic property confiscated in the US), and other aspects of the day-to-day functioning of our diplomatic missions is ongoing,” Lavrov told reporters.

“We’ve already had two rounds, and (US Secretary of State) Marco Rubio and I agreed to hold a third this fall,” he was quoted by the Russian state-run Tass news agency as saying.

Lavrov added that Moscow and Washington expressed interest in working together where their national interests overlap.

“In cases where interests coincide—and in relations between the US and Russia, such cases are, of course, rare—but when they do, it would be foolish not to use this circumstance to implement some joint, mutually beneficial projects,” he said.

Lavrov emphasized that both sides must defend their national interests, but the main goal is to avoid direct confrontation. "We (with the US) have an absolutely unified position," he added.

On nuclear arms, Lavrov expects US President Donald Trump to personally respond to Russia's proposal to extend compliance with the New START Treaty's central limits for one year after its expiration in 2026.

“The White House spokesperson said this is a very interesting statement and that President Trump will definitely comment on it personally. We are proceeding from this,” he remarked.

Gaza mediation efforts

Turning to the Middle East, Lavrov said Russia is ready to join Arab and Islamic initiatives to address the situation in Gaza, provided the effort is led by regional actors.

“If, following the summit of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, our Arab and Muslim friends undertake any work … we will definitely join in,” he said.

Lavrov stressed that countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are already engaged in talks, with US participation.

Security warnings

The Russian minister also issued a stern warning against attempts to shoot down Russian objects in its airspace.

“If there are attempts to shoot down any flying object, or indeed any object at all, on our territory, in our airspace, then I think people will seriously regret committing such a gross violation of our territorial integrity, our sovereignty,” he said.

Lavrov rejected accusations that Russia targets EU or NATO states with drones or missiles, stressing that “we never attack civilian targets.”

Referring to drones reported on Polish territory, he said their range was shorter than the distance from Russia to Poland.

“On the same day the Poles began raising the alarm, we proposed a meeting through the defense ministries to address the situation … without any hysteria,” he added.