Head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Confirms Meeting with CIA Director in Moscow

Moscow, August 27 (KUNA) -- Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Chief Sergei Naryshkin confirmed on Thursday that he met with U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe in the Russian capital, Moscow, where they discussed a number of issues falling within the purview of intelligence agencies.

In remarks relayed by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Naryshkin said that holding such meetings and personal encounters between heads of intelligence services is “a routine matter within the framework of security agencies’ work and part of their operations.” He added that the meeting with the American official covered “a number of issues within the competence of intelligence agencies,” without providing further details on the topics discussed.

For his part, Naryshkin noted that the SVR’s international communications are “continuous” and that the agency holds weekly online or in-person meetings with heads of security and intelligence services from various continents around the world.

Naryshkin’s comments followed an unannounced visit by Ratcliffe to Moscow earlier this week, which the Kremlin said was linked to communications between Russian and U.S. intelligence agencies, while neither side disclosed details of the talks.

U.S. President Donald Trump had described Ratcliffe’s visit to Russia as “quasi-routine,” expressing hope that it would yield results. Trump affirmed that the United States is working intensively to end the conflict in Ukraine, adding his belief that both Ukraine and Russia wish to end the war. (End) D.A.N./A.B.Kh.