MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US Senate confirmed former Exxon Mobil CEO Tillerson in a 56-43 vote on Wednesday. Tillerson was then sworn in as the Department of State Secretary.
"We expect improvement of relations that greatly deteriorated under Obama administration. The minister today sent a telegram of congratulations to the new Secretary of State, in which hope [for a thaw] was expressed. We have many areas for cooperation," the source said.
2 February 2017, 05:15 GMT
According to the source, there is no agreement yet on a meeting between Lavrov and Tillerson, but Moscow does not rule out that it could take place in the near future.
In January, during Senate confirmation hearings, Tillerson was criticized for his past business dealings with the Russian government. However, the former oilman told lawmakers the United States should maintain the status quo on anti-Russian sanctions.
