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Russian diplomat points to routine discussions of relocating UN headquarters from US

Sergey Vershinin also mentioned a problem with Russia’s diplomatic property in New York

MOSCOW, October 5. /TASS/. The possible relocation of the United Nations headquarters from New York is being frequently discussed but no specific proposals have been put forward so far, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told reporters on Wednesday.

According to him, the United States’ violation of the 1947 accords as the UN host country, "clearly raises questions as to how effective the UN’s activities will be if they continue in New York. This issue is being discussed on a routine basis at the moment and no specific proposals have been put forward," he said in response to a TASS question.

The Russian deputy foreign minister explained that under the 1947 agreement, as a host nation, the US should ensure the issuance of the necessary visas and permissions to the delegations and representatives of UN member states for events in New York. "As you know, this does not happen. We have been facing issues with US visas year after year," Vershinin noted. He also mentioned a problem with Russia’s diplomatic property in New York.

"We believe that it’s a violation of the agreement between the US as the host country and the United Nations, so we keep encouraging the UN secretary general to take the necessary action. After all, it is his duty. This is what we have been talking about inside the committee on relations with the host party. However, nothing is happening yet and we have seen no real changes in the situation," the senior Russian diplomat emphasized.