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Anti-Russian sanctions

No reason to hold forums in countries supporting sanctions — Russia’s upper house speaker

Russia’s Foreign Ministry says the visa for Matviyenko contains some "inadmissible" restrictions on the stay in the US which make a Russian delegation’s visit to New York late this month impossible

Russia’s upper house speaker Valentina Matviyenko Federation Council press service

Russia’s upper house speaker Valentina Matviyenko

© Federation Council press service

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Russian Federation Council speaker: emotions aside when deciding on sanctions against US

MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. Russia’s upper house speaker Valentina Matviyenko, whose visit to the US has been disrupted due to visa restrictions, said on Thursday there is no reason to hold international events in those countries that back sanctions.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the visa for Matviyenko contains some "inadmissible" restrictions on the stay in the United States which make a Russian delegation’s planned visit to New York late this month impossible.

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"At all the international parliamentary venues, we will question the reasonability of holding international platforms on the territory of countries supporting sanctions," the Federation Council speaker told reporters.

"We will raise the issue whether the sanctions could be acceptable upon political motives against parliamentarians of any countries. This should be confirmed at the international level," Matviyenko said.

The senator stressed that Washington’s reasons for restricting her visa were "far-fetched" and the United States has violated its international commitments.

Matviyenko was scheduled to attend the 4th world conference of the heads of parliament from the member-countries of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, due in New York on August 31 through September 2.

And on August 29-30 there will be the 10th meeting of women speakers of parliament. On Wednesday, the United States issued a visa to Matviyenko but set a number of restrictions which the Federation Council Speaker and the Russian Foreign Ministry have dismissed as unacceptable. The issued visa allowed Matviyenko to meet with the UN Secretary-General but prohibited her participation in the forthcoming conference.

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Sanctions vs. Russia United States Valentina Matviyenko

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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