[Russian and American lawmakers meet in Washington after years, Russian side says 'better than expected'] Reported by Golden Finance, on March 27, according to news from the Russian side on the 26th, Vyacheslav Nikonov, head of the Russian delegation and First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, stated that Russian and American lawmakers held their first meeting in Washington in recent years, saying, 'The current situation is better than I expected.' Nikonov expressed that it is possible to restore inter-parliamentary relations, and the Russian delegation will continue to advance its work as planned. On the same day, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that prior to the Russian lawmakers' visit to the U.S., President Putin had given instructions and would be briefed on the results of the talks. It is reported that inter-parliamentary relations between Russia and the U.S. were severed in 2014 following Western sanctions against Russia. Both sides have made multiple attempts to resume dialogue, but none have been successful. (CCTV News)