Meeting between US Secretary of State and Russian Foreign Minister, 12 April 2017

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Series Details 12.04.17
Publication Date 12/04/2017
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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin on 12 April 2017, in the aftermath of a period of increased tension between the two countries.

Bilateral relations and cooperation were the two main topics of the meetings, with wide disagreement reportedly being shown on most major issues concerning both countries.

While Tillerson and Lavrov agreed that both states must seek better relations, they failed to reach a consensus on the key topic of Syria.

This meeting was held following a US strike against an airbase in Syria on 4 April 2017 in retaliation for an alleged chemical gas attack on Syrian civilians days earlier and a meeting of the G7 foreign ministers, 10-11 April 2017. The G7 foreign ministers failed to agree on a coordinated call for further targetted sanctions to be imposed against Syria and its key ally Russia.

With a ‘no’ vote from permanent member Russia, the United Nations Security Council failed on the 12 April 2017 to adopt a resolution that would have condemned the reported use of chemical weapons in Syria and called on the Government to cooperate with an investigation into the incident.

A special meeting of the 41-member Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was held on the 13 April 2017 in The Hague to discuss the attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun that had killed nearly 90 people - many of them children

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Russia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs: News, 12.04.17: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Moscow http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/2725629
US: Secretary of State: Remarks, 12.04.17: Remarks With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a Press Availability https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2017/04/270136.htm
The Independent, 13.04.17: Donald Trump and Rex Tillerson warn US-Russia relations are 'at a low point' after tense talks in Moscow http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/syria-crisis-chemical-attack-sergey-lavrov-rex-tillerson-sabotage-relationship-a7681091.html
Politico, 12.04.17: Why Rex Tillerson has his hands full with Sergei Lavrov http://www.politico.eu/article/why-rex-tillerson-has-his-hands-full-with-sergei-lavrov/
The New York Times, 12.04.17: Tillerson and Putin Find Little More Than Disagreement in Meeting https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/world/europe/tillerson-putin-lavrov-russia-syria.html
EurActiv, 12.04.17: Putin says trust erodes under Trump as Moscow receives Tillerson http://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/putin-says-trust-erodes-under-trump-as-moscow-receives-tillerson/
Euro|Topics: Debates, April 2017: US and Russia negotiating bilaterally on Assad http://www.eurotopics.net/en/177690/us-and-russia-negotiating-bilaterally-on-assad
ESO: Background information: The first Trump test: European policy and the Siege of Aleppo http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-first-trump-test-european-policy-and-the-siege-of-aleppo/
ESO: Background information: Moscow chooses Trump. Russia on the US presidential elections (OSW Commentary No.227 (09.11.16)) http://www.europeansources.info/record/moscow-chooses-trump-russia-on-the-us-presidential-elections/
ESO: Background information: A Trump-Putin summit? Bring it on. http://www.europeansources.info/record/a-trump-putin-summit-bring-it-on/
UN: Security Council: Press Release 12.04.17: Russia blocks Security Council action on reported use of chemical weapons in Syria’s Khan Shaykhun http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56554
Deutsche Welle, 13.04.17: OPCW chemical weapons agency sends fact-finding mission to Syria http://p.dw.com/p/2bD4f
OPCW: Syria and OPCW https://www.opcw.org/special-sections/syria/
ECFR: Commentary, 11.04.17: Into the bear pit: What awaits Tillerson in Moscow? http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_into_the_bear_pit_what_awaits_tillerson_in_moscow_7271
The Conversation, 13.04.17: Why Russia and the US struggle to understand each other’s behaviour https://theconversation.com/why-russia-and-the-us-struggle-to-understand-each-others-behaviour-76130
ELN: Publications, 12.04.17: Regional Imperative: Why we need the Syria Deconfliction Agreement http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/regional-imperative-why-we-need-the-syria-deconfliction-agreement_4677.html

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