The first session of talks between Russian and U.S. delegations came to an end in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Tuesday, with the Russian side describing the discussions as having made "positive" progress.
Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin's foreign affairs adviser, said that the over four-hour-long meeting ended with "positive" results, noting that there had been "a serious conversation on all issues" and that the two sides had agreed to take each other's interests into account.
Regarding a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, Ushakov said the date for such a meeting remains uncertain, but noted that it was "unlikely" to take place as soon as next week, as some media reports had speculated.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier mentioned in a local media interview last Thursday that Putin and Trump had quickly agreed to coordinate and hold a working meeting in a third country.
The two delegations also agreed to form teams to work on finding a pathway to ending the conflict in Ukraine, though the participants in those talks are yet to be determined, with the decision to be made by the two presidents, the spokesman said. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko emphasized that Tuesday's talks were initial consultations, aimed primarily at outlining each side's fundamental positions.
The Russian delegation included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Ushakov, and the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev, while the U.S. side was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was also present.
Russia, U.S.hold "positive" talks in Riyadh: Kremlin aide
Spanish students have expressed their expectation that a healthy China-U.S. economic and trade relationship will inject greater stability into the global economy and create greater opportunities for Spain.
On Sunday, Chinese and U.S. delegations convened in Paris, France for talks on economic and trade issues. Guided by the consensus reached by the two heads of state in Busan and their subsequent phone talks, the two sides will conduct consultations on economic and trade matters of mutual concern.
Ahead of the talks, members of the public in Madrid, Spain, shared their views on China–U.S. economic and trade relations with China Media Group (CMG). They agreed that reaching an agreement between the world’s two largest economies would have a direct impact on the global landscape.
"They are the two countries that contribute the most economically, in a manner of speaking, to the rest of the countries. They are major importers and exporters. So I think that a satisfactory relationship between them can be very beneficial for all other countries," said Claudia, an engineering student.
Noting that both sides are important trading partners of Spain, the interviewees stated that a healthy, stable and sustainable China-U.S. economic and trade relationship also affects various aspects of the Spanish society, and that agreements between the two countries would help promote Spain's economic growth.
"I do think that it could have a certain effect on the Spanish economy, both in terms of prices, and I would dare say employment as well. Because I think that if those two great powers reach an agreement, Spain could also get in on the action. It would create quite a few jobs in Chinese and American multinationals for all Spaniards," said Claudia.
"Spain is caught in the middle; it has good relations with both the U.S. and China. If it gets on the bad side of either one, it could be hit hard, because Spain mainly relies on tourism -- well, other things too, but essentially tourism, construction and agriculture. It's very important to have more help and trade with all countries around the world," said Denis, a law student.
Spanish students say stable China-US ties benefit global economy
