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Russian embassy in US will not object to naming street after Nemtsov — ambassador

Anatoly Antonov expressed hope that the US move "pursues a noble purpose," and was not made "out of spite"

WASHINGTON, December 30. /TASS/. The Russian side will accept any decision by Washington city authorities on naming a street adjacent to the Russian Embassy after murdered Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, the Russian ambassador to the US said.

"It’s up to the US authorities to decide after whom this or that square or street should be named," Anatoly Antonov said in an interview with the international Russian-language RTVi channel, broadcasted on Friday.

"We will accept any decision by the United States on this matter," he continued. "I have no emotions [over the matter] so far. Me and my colleagues will continue working just the way we did before."

He expressed hope that the US move "pursues a noble purpose," and was not made "out of spite."

Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister under then-President Boris Yeltsin, co-chairman of the Parnas political party and lawmaker from the Yaroslavl regional legislature, was gunned down in downtown Moscow on February 27, 2015. Five individuals were arrested on suspicion of murdering the politician: Zaur Dadayev, Anzor and Shadid Gubashev, Tamerlan Eskerkhanov and Khamzat Bakhayev. Another suspect, Beslan Shavanov, resisted police and blew himself up.

According to investigators, Ruslan Mukhudinov, a former officer of the Chechen Sever (or North) battalion, is the mastermind and organizer of the murder. Mukhudinov was charged in absentia. He has been on an international wanted list since November 2015.

On December 19, a committee of the Washingon city council unanimously supported a draft bill to rename the Northwest Washington street, where the Russian Embassy is located, after Nemtsov. The city council will vote on the bill in the first reading on January 9. If approved in two readings, it will be submitted to the city mayor for signing.

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