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Senator: Kobzon’s proposal about break of diplomatic relations with U.S. is irrelevant

Senator Vladimir Dzhabarov commented on the remarks of Russian singer and MP Iosif Kobzon, who said that Russia should suspend diplomatic relations with the United States

MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. It will be better for Russia to maintain diplomatic relations with the United States than to break them, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov told TASS on Saturday. He thus commented on the remarks of Russian singer and MP Iosif Kobzon, who said that Russia should suspend diplomatic relations with the United States as a mark of protest against the issuance of a restricted visa to Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko.

"I believe that this is an emotional statement, and it is not worth talking about it, because no matter how events unfold, we should maintain diplomatic relations with the United States. It is better than having no [diplomatic] relations," the senator said. "I do not support this proposal, I believe that at the moment it is irrelevant," he added.

USA is afraid "of hearing an alternative view"

Dzhabarov noted that as a response to the U.S. actions with regard to the third person in the Russian state, Moscow should "be adamant when raising the issue on international floors" about the obligations of the country hosting large international forums "to let anyone to its territory". "It does make sense to bring up a question of the transfer of international organizations from the United States", he said.

According to Dzhabarov, the U.S. decision not to let the speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament to the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament convened by the Inter-Parliamentary Union stems from the fear to hear from Matviyenko "the whole truth about what is going on in southeastern Ukraine, about the situation in Crimea." "[The United States] is afraid of hearing an alternative view differing from the one it is trying to impose on these international floors," the senator said.

"Russia cannot be treated"

Russian crooner and lawmaker Iosif Kobzon earlier told Russian News Service that Russia should suspend diplomatic relations with the United States after Washington issued a restricted visa to Valentina Matviyenko. "I would suspend all diplomatic relations [with the United States] so that Americans reflect on the issue and realize that Russia cannot be treated in such a way," he said.

Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and other members of the Russian delegation decided not to take part in the session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which will take place in New York between August 31 and September 2 after the United States issued a restricted visa to Matviyenko. Matviyenko has been placed on the list of persons targeted by the sanctions envisaging an entry ban.