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Russia to keep seeking return of its diplomatic property in US – ambassador

Anatoly Antonov said that the issue of resuming the work of consulates general is not worth it
Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov Valery Sharifulin/TASS
Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov
© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

SAN FRANCISCO /California/, November 4. /TASS/. The Russian government will continue seeking the return of its diplomatic property in the US, frozen by the Washington administration, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told reporters on Friday.

"We of course, are demanding and will keep demanding to have our property back, at least. The issue of reopening consulates general is not on the agenda today, but we are clearly lacking diplomatic presence [on the west coast of the US]," the ambassador said after visiting Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik, held in pretrial custody in California.

He added that there no negotiations with the US Department of State on the issue were under way at the moment.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that six facilities, vested with the diplomatic property status, remain under unlawful control of the US side, with Russian diplomats being denied access to those buildings.

On September 2, 2017, the United States’ authorities closed Russia’s consulate general in San Francisco, the trade mission in Washington and its rented office in New York. The former two facilities are Russia’s government property and enjoy diplomatic immunity. Moscow described the seizure of Russian diplomatic property as an openly hostile step and called on the United States to immediately return these facilities. On March 26, 2018, Washington closed Russia’s consulate general in Seattle (rented premises) and the consul general’s residence (Russia’s property).