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New building of US embassy’s consulate department opens in Moscow

The building has more than 40 windows for interviews with the applicants for US visas

MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Carl Risch, on Tuesday attended a ceremony of opening a new building of the US embassy’s consulate department in Bolshoi Devyatinsky Pereulok Str. in Moscow.

He said in his speech on the occasion that construction of the consulate compound took five years and about $ 280 million. The building has more than 40 windows for interviews with the applicants for US visas.

Risch said the US was acting in the spirit of good will to support consular relations with Russia. He pointed out an increase in the number of trips the Russians were making to the US and the Americans, to Russia, adding the factor facilitated economic cooperation.

Risch also indicated Russian citizens had nice opportunities because really professional consular officers were working with them.

He complained the US embassy was short of staff because of recent reductions in diplomatic personnel and stressed Washington’s willingness to broaden consular presence in Moscow.

Officials from the Russian Foreign Ministry took part in the ceremony.