MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially appointed Alexander Darchiev as the new ambassador to the United States, read a decree posted on the country's official portal on Thursday.

Darchiev previously served as the director of the North Atlantic Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

On Feb 18, delegations from Russia and the United States met in Riyadh to discuss bilateral ties and the Ukraine crisis.

Following the talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that both countries agreed to appoint their ambassadors as soon as possible and resolve longstanding diplomatic issues.

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On Feb 27, Russian and US diplomats met in Istanbul to discuss issues affecting the functioning of their diplomatic missions in both capitals.