US does not issue visas to Lavrov, Russian delegation to UN events

Reuters reports about it.

In a letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres, who was at the disposal of the agency, Russian Permanent Representative in the UN Vasyl Nebenzia stated that this "causes anxiety" because over the past several months Washington "constantly refuses to issue entry visas" to a number of Russian citizens, delegates to the different UN events.

A representative of the State Department says that the USA takes seriously its obligations as a UN host country and adds that visa records are confidential, so the USA cannot comment on individual cases.

"Every year, we process hundreds of visas for delegates of the Russian Federation at UN events," says a representative of the State Department.

He also notes that applications should be submitted as early as possible to ensure timely processing. According to him, this is especially important due to the unjustified actions of the Russian Federation against the US Embassy in Russia, including the forced release of diplomats in Moscow.

The representative says that the Russian Federation "seriously limited the staff and, therefore, the possibilities for processing visas."

Espreso notes that the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York will take place on September 20.

• As well, Espreso recalls that Russia asked the USA to issue a visa for Lavrov so that he could participate in the session of the UN General Assembly in mid-August.