SOCHI — National Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev said he will visit the U.S. to hand over to President Barack Obama a letter from President Vladimir Putin.
Patrushev did not reveal when the visit would take place, saying only that "the visit will go ahead when there is a letter" from Putin.
Putin's letter will be a response to Obama's message that U.S. National Security adviser Tom Donilon brought to Moscow last month.
"We received it, and I believe it is logical for us to respond to it in the same way," Patrushev said Monday, adding he believes bilateral meetings should be more frequent.
Patrushev said he planned to meet with Donilon during his U.S. visit.
Obama's message has not been made public, but Putin's foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov has said it contained a number of proposals to deepen bilateral dialogue and cooperation, and that Moscow would study them in depth.
Ushakov said Obama's message to Putin, "couched in a constructive tone," touched on matters of cooperation in the defense and technology sector, including missile defense and nuclear issues.
