U.S. national-security adviser John Bolton has announced he will be traveling to Russia and three Caucasus nations later this month for talks with senior officials.
In a tweet on October 11, Bolton said he would depart on October 20 for Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia.
"On October 20th I'll be traveling to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia to meet with my counterparts and other senior officials to advance American interests on a range of security issues," Bolton tweeted.
Russia's RIA Novosti news agency on October 12 quoted a Russian source as saying Russia's Security Council secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, planned to meet with Bolton in Moscow on October 22-23.
The scheduled Bolton visit to Russia comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russian actions in Ukraine and Syria as well as alleged Kremlin interference in U.S. elections.
In August, Bolton told Patrushev that the United States "wouldn't tolerate meddling" in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections.
Bolton also said U.S. sanctions against Russia would remain in place until Moscow changes its behavior.
In a tweet on October 12, Georgian Foreign Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said the upcoming visit of Bolton to Georgia would "further strengthen the deep friendship and statregic partnership between" the United States and Georgia.
