Moscow has called on Washington to immediately issue visas to members of Russia’s delegation to events related to the country’s chairmanship of the UN Security Council, according to Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov. In a statement, Antonov expressed concern that visas for the delegation and journalists had not been granted despite a request made to the US Embassy in Moscow at the end of March. He also highlighted that an appointment for Russian media representatives to have their visa applications examined at the US diplomatic mission on March 31 was canceled without explanation, and there was still no certainty just a few days before the event.
“We urge Washington to immediately issue visas for our delegation, as well as for our journalists. Failure to do that is a violation of the United States’ obligations as the host country of the UN headquarters, which impedes appropriate, full-fledged functioning of the World Organization,” stressed Antonov.
Antonov also pointed out that there was an “incomprehensible situation” regarding the special flight for Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is expected to visit the UN headquarters in late April. The US authorities have not yet sanctioned the arrival of the aircraft, and Antonov called on Americans to promptly grant flight permission without any conditions or restrictions.
The United Nations Secretary-General’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, also addressed the issue, stating at a briefing on Wednesday that the UN expected the US to issue visas to members of Lavrov’s delegation. Russia is set to assume the chairmanship of the UN Security Council for the month of April, and events are planned at the UN headquarters during this period.
The lack of progress in issuing visas to the Russian delegation has raised concerns about the United States’ compliance with its obligations as the host country of the UN headquarters. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold in the coming days, as time is running out for the planned events.
