Rex Tillerson meets Russian Foreign Minister, discusses Syria

New York: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov here on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and discussed the current situation in Syria, an official has said.

The meeting between the two leaders took place at the Russian mission in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

"The two recommitted to deconflicting military operations in Syria, reducing the violence, and creating the conditions for the Geneva process to move forward, pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254," Nauert said in a statement.

Tillerson had termed the relations between the US and Russia at a "historic" post-Cold War low, amid tit-for-tat cuts to each other's diplomatic missions.

The US recently ordered Russia to shut its the Consulate in San Francisco and offices in Washington and New York.

Russia responded by promising a "tough response" to the US order which had come after Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered that the US cut its diplomatic staff in Russia by 755 employees.

Putin's order itself was in retaliation for new sanctions imposed in July after the US Congress decided to punish Moscow for its reported interference in the 2016 American presidential election.

The US wants to work with Russia to help resolve the crisis in Syria, where both have military forces deployed, and the rivals are trying to work through their differences.