Maas pointed out during a meeting in the Portuguese capital, that the European Union wants a dialogue with Russia and the meeting in Geneva is important for this.

There are crucial issues such as disarmament and the integration of Russia in the fight against climate change, the head of German diplomacy declared.

The meeting of the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and his U.S. counterpart, John Biden, is scheduled for June 16th, according to recent confirmations from the Kremlin.

Local media considered that Putin and Biden should review a wide spectrum of bilateral and international issues, although the reason for the meeting seems to be the discussion of disarmament.

Russia and the United States reached an agreement last February to extend for another five years the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, also known as the New START and signed in April 2010.

During a phone conversation last month, Biden proposed to Putin to hold a meeting in a third country. Later, he suggested that it be before the end of June.

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