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Middle East and North Africa

Expert: Suspended activity at US embassies in Mideast is not sign of retreat

“We are not talking about a US retreat from the region. I believe this is a purely temporary measure,” a Russian expert says

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, August 6 (Itar-Tass) - Suspended activity at US embassies in some countries of the Middle East and North Africa should not be considered as American’s retreat from that region, the director of the Institute for Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vitaly Naumkin, told Tass on Tuesday.

“We are not talking about a US retreat from the region. I believe this is a purely temporary measure,” he said. The expert believed the embassies could reopen shortly after a direct terrorist threat was removed. “I believe they will resume activity and will even boost it somewhere, but with higher security measures,” Naumkin said.

These steps allowed them to mobilise, make their missions and their nationals more secure, the director added.

Earlier, the United States announced it was suspending the activity of its diplomatic missions in 19 cities of Africa and the Middle East over fears of terror attacks, including in Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

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