Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photo: VCG

Moscow is open for constructive cooperation with Washington on the basis of mutual respect for each other's interests, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday.

The minister held talks with US Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, who was appointed as US ambassador to Russia last month, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nagoya, Japan.

"We discussed with him (Sullivan) the role of this group in international relations and reaffirmed our support of this organization," Lavrov told reporters, according to a transcript published by the ministry.

"We also discussed ways to solve numerous problems in our relations," said Lavrov, characterizing his talks with Sullivan as a "useful discussion."