WASHINGTON, November 6. /TASS/. A chance to resolve the problem of issuing visas to Russians at the US Embassy in Moscow exists, Russia’s Charge d’Affaires in the United States Sergey Koshelev told the RTVI channel on Friday.

"Diplomacy is the art of negotiations, the art of reaching an agreement. As long as diplomats are talking, there is a chance that we will resolve this issue," he said.

The envoy pointed out that Russia was ready to find compromises with the US on the visa issues yet wanted Washington to hear out its point of view as well. "We are ready to talk and find compromises. The issue cannot be resolved like this - you’d resolve my problem and then I will see what we can do for you. This situation is no longer possible. We have been waiting for too long and showed patience. We are ready to talk, take into account opinions and listen to our partners. We are asking our colleagues at the Department of State to listen to our opinion as well, to take into account our point of view," the diplomat said.

The envoy did not exclude various variants of settling this problem. "All the variants are on the negotiating table. Everything is open," he said in response to a question as to whether a permission is possible for the US Embassy in Moscow to hire Russian citizens again.

In response to anti-Russian sanctions declared by Washington and yet another expulsion of Russian diplomats, Moscow introduced a ban on hiring Russian and third-country citizens by the US Embassy in Russia. The US Embassy in Moscow announced that beginning on May 12, it would reduce consular services, including suspending the issuance of non-diplomatic visas. The issuance of visas to diplomats has also considerably slowed down. Since August 1, the US Embassy in Russia has been operating with a skeleton staff of 120 employees.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry pointed out that nothing prevented the US embassy from filling the quota of 455 diplomats with American employees.