Russia expects new US administration not to repeat past mistakes: minister

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov answers reporters questions after his bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the APEC Ministers Summit in Lima, Peru November 17, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

MOSCOW - Russia expects the new US administration not to repeat past mistakes of its predecessors who destroyed the Russian-US relations, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday.

He expressed the hope that cooperation with the new US president will be constructive.

Russia is always open for an honest and pragmatic dialogue with the United States on all global and bilateral issues on the basis of mutual respect, equality, consideration of each other's interests and non-interference in domestic affairs, said Lavrov in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

"We believe that effective resolution of modern key problems and maintaining of strategic stability and security depends on our countries. Both sides will have to take serious efforts in order to overcome the destructive consequences of the anti-Russian policy of Barack Obama's administration," Lavrov said.

"But, according to President Vladimir Putin, we are ready to make our part of the way to stabilize the Russian-US relations," he said.

Lavrov noted that the development of bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, innovation, technology and culture is also possible.

"All in all, if we have mutual desire, we'll have something to work on," said Lavrov.

US-Russia relations had suffered a setback due to the Ukraine crisis. Washington and the European Union had imposed sanctions against Russia over Russia's takeover of Crimea.

In response, Russia reduced imports of food commodities from countries which had imposed sanctions, including the United States, some EU members, Canada, Australia and Norway.