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No talk of election interference at meetings, Russian foreign minister says

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WASHINGTON — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says U. S. allegations of Kremlin interference in last year’s presidential campaign did not come up duri
WASHINGTON — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says U. S. allegations of Kremlin interference in last year’s presidential campaign did not come up during his meetings Wednesday at the White House and the State Department.
Lavrov said the talks focused instead on building “businesslike relations” between Moscow and Washington after years of tension.
Lavrov’s visit to Washington, his first since President Donald Trump took office, was overshadowed by the outcry over Trump’s firing of the FBI director, James Comey, who had been overseeing a probe of Russian attempts to influence the election.
During the campaign, Trump repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for improving relations with Moscow. But he has toned down those calls as the FBI and three congressional committees began investigating Russia’s role in the election.
Addressing reporters at the Russian Embassy after his nearly hourlong meeting at the White House, Lavrov — speaking through a translator, although he speaks English — said “no compelling evidence (was) given to anyone about Russian intervention” in the election.
The two governments, he said, should turn their attention to pressing global issues.
“It’s very important that President Trump and President (Vladimir) Putin act at solving problems on the international agenda, ” Lavrov said.
He said talks were underway about arranging for Trump and Putin to meet in early July on the sidelines of the G-20 conference in Hamburg, Germany. The two leaders have spoken by phone three times since the election.
Over the months, the Kremlin has issued many denials of the U. S. intelligence assessment that Putin’s government sought to influence the election outcome, working to aid Trump against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Moscow has also distanced itself from the Comey affair.
Earlier Wednesday, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Putin, said the summary firing of the FBI director was an internal U. S. matter that had “nothing to do” with Russia.
Lavrov told reporters that his talks Wednesday morning with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson focused on matters of mutual concern including “de-escalation zones” in Syria.
He also made scornful reference to former President Barack Obama, saying that by contrast, Trump and his associates were “people of action.”
“Whenever people are taking care of business instead of putting forth their ideological preferences, it’s much more useful, ” the foreign minister said.

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