State Department says Blinken to meet Russia's Lavrov in Iceland next week

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a joint news conference with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov following their meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan May 11, 2021. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call on Wednesday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and discussed their upcoming meeting on the sidelines of the Arctic Council ministerial in Iceland next week, the State Department said.

Blinken repeated his call on Russia to release detained Americans in the country and he provided Lavrov with an overview of U.S. policy toward North Korea, the Department said in a statement.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a news conference with Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab following their bilateral meeting in London, Britain May 3, 2021 during the G7 foreign ministers meeting. Ben Stansall/Pool via REUTERS

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)