Pompeo says to meet with Russia's Lavrov on sidelines of U.N. gathering

Thomson Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he expected to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

"I'm sure Sergei and I will have our time together," Pompeo said of plans to meet Lavrov. "We are trying to find every place we can where there is common ground, where we can work with the Russians," adding that there were many areas where Moscow was working against the United States and "we will hold them accountable."

Washington is concerned with Russia's plans to supply Syria with a S-300 missile system and has said it would be a "significant escalation" by Moscow in its support for the Syrian government in the civil war.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Yara Bayoumy; editing by Grant McCool)

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