In this file photo taken on Nov. 11, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk as they make their way to take the "family photo" during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit in the central Vietnamese city of Danang. (Xinhua/AFP)

MOSCOW, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that he hopes Russia and the United States will resume cooperation in nuclear energy.

He made the remarks when receiving former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, who is now the CEO and co-chair of the board of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).

Lavrov recalled that during Moniz's tenure as secretary of energy in 2013, the two countries signed an agreement for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

"Since then, for reasons beyond our control, the work to implement this agreement and practical contacts have been frozen," the top Russian diplomat said.

Lavrov hoped Moniz in his current capacity could help restore bilateral cooperation in this field.

Headquartered in Washington D.C., the NTI says it works to prevent catastrophic attacks with weapons of mass destruction and disruption -- nuclear, biological, radiological, chemical and cyber.