The US and Russian delegations on Thursday held “constructive discussions” in Istanbul, Turkey, and “identified concrete initial steps to stabilize bilateral mission operations,” the US Department of State said in a media note it issued on the same day.

According to the statement, US representatives “raised concerns regarding access to banking and contracted services as well as the need to ensure stable and sustainable staffing levels at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.”

“Through constructive discussions, both sides identified concrete initial steps to stabilize bilateral mission operations in these areas,” the statement added.

It emphasizes that the parties “agreed to hold a follow-up meeting on these issues in the near term, with the date, location, and representation to be determined.”

The US State Department said Thursday's meeting was a continuation of the talks between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“The U.S. delegation was led by Sonata Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Russia and Central Europe, and the Russian delegation was led by Ministry of Foreign Affairs North Atlantic Department Director Ambassador Aleksandr Darchiyev,” the statement added.