Ryabkov comments on Sullivan's nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Russia

Russia hopes the appointment of John Sullivan as the United States' new ambassador to Russia will work toward improving the relations, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on the sidelines of the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference. .

"We need to see what will happen during the vote on his candidacy," Ryabkov noted. "We hope that in case of his appointment here Sullivan will conduct a policy that will help to improve the current extremely difficult state of our relations", Sputnik cited his as saying.

Ryabkov added that he had a "very pleasant" impression of Sullivan, whom he had met previously.

"He is a very experienced and knowledgeable person, a talented diplomat. Besides, he has a background of working in law firms and various important agencies of previous U.S. administrations, which is as a whole a unique experience that, I hope, will help him to productively work in Moscow, if and when he is appointed," the Russian diplomat said.