Even through a phase of strained relations, the United States and Russia said that they will cooperate on climate-related issues after US climate envoy John Kerry visited the Russian capital for a diplomatic mission.

Kerry, who was formerly the United States Secretary of State under former US President Barack Obama, met the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and said, “We spent years, you and I, negotiating on wars, on chemical weapons, on nuclear weapons. I would say with any reservation this is absolutely as critical”, according to reports from AFP.

His statement also showed the urgency of the matter at hand as Kerry said that the stakes had never been higher. 

Russian representative and Foreign Minister Lavrov said Kerry’s visit to Moscow was “very timely”, adding that Russia values the importance of addressing issues related to climate change, according to reports from AFP.

The diplomatic representations of the United States and Russia are set to meet later this year in November in Scotland’s Glasgow for the COP26 conference, which will be used to find solutions to emerging problems related to climate and environment.

The meeting between the two diplomats was labelled as a “positive and important step” on the path of relieving stress from the already strained US- Russia relations, according to reports from AFP quoting the Russian Foreign Minister.

Russia, which currently ranks number four on the list of highest carbon emitters, is a leading producer of natural resources such as oil and gas. However, Russian authorities have, in recent years, vowed to treat climate change as a challenge, according to reports from AFP.

Relations between the United States and Russia have been under pressure due to aspects like the treatment of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, alleged Russian interference in US elections and a series of cyberattacks against the US, which are believed to be carried out by Russia-based organisations.