VLADIVOSTOK, September 6. /TASS/. The United States’ inadequate approach to issuing visas for Russian citizens is experienced across all categories of citizens, while Russian visas are issued without any delays, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS on the sidelines of the fifth Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

"We acknowledge that there is one big problem, namely the US’ unwillingness to find a way out of this [visa] issue. Americans obtain Russian visas on time, in accordance with the existing agreements, straightforwardly and using all the range of new technologies and without any delays, interviews and so on," the Russian diplomat underlined. "We witness the polar opposite in the issue of American visas that Russians apply for."

According to the spokeswoman, the problem affects all categories of Russians, namely "intellectuals, science, culture circles, sports people, official delegations." "I think there is not a single category of persons who has not experienced the utterly inadequate US visa policy applied to Russians," she said.

Zakharova was asked whether Russian representatives face problems when applying for visas to attend the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. In response, she emphasized that the session runs for almost the whole year, beginning in September, with political discussion. "But we have had issues when our staffers, diplomats received visas after a big delay or did not get their visas at all, which we repeatedly communicated to the Americans," she said.