WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Department of State is working in a number of areas to try to stabilize US relations with Russia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a hearing on Tuesday.
"Our relationship is at all time low… Our objective is to stabilize that," Tillerson stated. "We are working in a couple of areas in particular to see if we can establish that there is a basis for re-establishing some type of working relationship with the Russian government that is in our interest."
Efforts by the United States and Russia to work together in Syria are progressing, Tillerson told the committee.
He said the State Department was looking at a number of areas to see if Washington and Moscow could re-establish a working relationship.
"There are efforts underway in Syria specifically," Tillerson told senators. "Those are progressing in positive way but it is far too early in the process to say whether they’re going to bear fruit."
Implementing additional US sanctions against Russia may impede the ongoing efforts to jointly tackle global issues, including the progress made in Syria, Tillerson stated.
"In respect to Russia, I think what we would like is the flexibility to turn that heat up," Tillerson stated. "We have some channels where we're starting to talk, including the progress made in Syria. What I wouldn't want to do is close the channels off."
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that US and Russian delegates had met several times in Jordan, with Jordanian officials present, to develop safe zones in Syria.
