Moscow, July 20 (Petra) -- The Kremlin said on Monday that technical-level contacts are continuing between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as part of efforts to restore bilateral relations and seek a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a news conference that Russia welcomes any meetings between Russian and U.S. officials this week in Manila, where foreign ministers are gathering for meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"Moscow supports the continuation of contacts between the foreign ministries of the two countries," Peskov said.

//Petra// AF