The upcoming videoconference of the leaders of the “nuclear five” does not cancel the in-person summit, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday.
The media is now undergoing a certain confusion of concepts, the diplomat noted.
“We are talking about a summit of the countries-permanent members of the Security Council at the same time as regards the possible contact of leaders in the online format, and regarding the idea put forward by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to hold an in-person meeting, an in-person summit of the Big Five”, – he said.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the agenda and dates for the UN Security Council “five” summit are being discussed, and a video conference of the leaders of the countries is not ruled out, but not in exchange for a full-fledged summit.
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin suggested organizing a meeting of leaders of the countries of permanent members of the UN Security Council. A spokesman for the Russian leader said in late January that the PRC and France favored the meeting.
Later, the US President Donald Trump answered affirmatively to the question of participating in the discussion of arms control with Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom in New York.
The World Health Organization on March 11 announced an outbreak of a new coronavirus infection COVID-19 with a pandemic. In this regard, in particular, many political and international meetings are held online.