WASHINGTON, September 7. /TASS/. Russia's new Ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, is expected to hand in credentials to President Donald Trump on Friday, the press secretary of the Embassy in Washington, Nikolai Pakhonin told TASS.
"The presentation of credentials will take place in the White House," he said. "Here in the U.S. this procedure is usually held behind closed doors."
Antonov told Russia’24 news channel on Wednesday he had handed in copies of his credentials to the U.S. Department of State. "I’ll look forward to reception with President Trump now."
He said the Department of State officials and he had pinned down the current problems plaguing bilateral relations and discussed "the diplomatic war that no one needs and that was launched by the U.S."
"It’s highly regrettable the Russian-U.S. relations are going through this upheaval now, right at the moment when international problems we could resolve together with the U.S. are piling up," Antonov said.
A high-rank official at the White House National Security Council told TASS earlier the Administration looked forward to welcoming Antonov at the forthcoming presentation of credentials.
Antonov, who arrived in Washington on August 31 amid diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Russia, replaces Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, who nine-year long tour of duty in Washington ended on July 22.
Prior to his appointment to the ambassadorial position in Washington, Antonov occupied a number of senior governmental posts in Russia, including those of a Deputy Defense Minister and a Deputy Foreign Minister. He has focused on arms control during the bigger part of his career in diplomacy.