Tillerson and Lavrov Book Same Ethiopian Hotel—and Can’t Agree on a Meeting
- Tillerson, Lavrov dispute whether a meeting was even sought
- Both envoys are on tours of Africa with an evening’s overlap
Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, left, listens as Rex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State, speaks during a photo opportunity at the U.S Department of State in Washington, D.C., on May 10, 2017.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThe top diplomats from Russia and the U.S. are spending their Thursday evening at a five-story Sheraton Hotel in Ethiopia’s capital. But with the two countries’ relationship at a post-Cold War low, the envoys can’t even agree on whether they want to meet.
The latest dispute began a few weeks ago when reporters realized that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would be in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the same time. Tillerson is at the start of a five-nation tour expected to focus on security and counterterror issues. Lavrov is further along on his own trip to the continent, although Ethiopia is the only destination on both diplomats’ schedules.