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Russia delivers request for arbitration to UN chief over visa problems with US — envoy

Russian diplomats are trying to engage in direct contacts with the US side, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya noted

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya delivered a message from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to UN Secretary General Antonio Guteres, demanding an arbitration process over visa issues with the United States.

"I was at the UN secretary general recently, and handed over the minister’s message to him, in which he outlines those problems and demands that the secretary-general launch an arbitration procedure with the host nation under a relevant article, in order to scrutinize actions of the country obliged to ensure due conditions for a UN mission’s work," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel on Wednesday.

According to the Russian diplomat, the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations is experiencing pressure, related to unresolved visa issues with the United States.

"Of course we are having serious visa problems, related to extending visas to staffers, who <…> cannot leave the country upon the expiry of their visa, even if they have serious humanitarian reasons to do so, such as, for example, death of a close relative," he said.

The envoy said that Russian diplomats are trying to engage in direct contacts with the US side, and manage to solve some issues that emerge. "Nevertheless, those are half-measures, a non-systemic solution to the problem," Nebenzya said.

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Foreign policy United States Vasily Nebenzya

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