The US and Russia said Wednesday they had business-like and substantive talks in Geneva in their second effort in as many months to bring stability to a fraught relationship.

The closed-door talks were a follow-up to June’s summit, also held in the Swiss diplomatic hub, between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden, who both described their first encounter as productive despite soaring tensions on multiple fronts.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov spoke mostly about arms control – one area where Biden has shown a willingness to engage with Russia – and agreed to meet again in September.