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Moscow notes increased pressure on Russian diplomats in US — diplomat

If Washington really decides to break the existing agreements, Moscow will "respond in a similar manner"
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Sergey Savostyanov/TASS
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Sergey Savostyanov/TASS

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Russian diplomats working in the United States constantly become objects of provocations by the American secret services, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"We have taken note of the media reports suggesting that the US Congress is working out a bill for stepping up surveillance over Russian diplomats and restricting their movement in the US territory," she said. "We have recently felt a significant increase in pressure on the Russian embassy and consulates general of our country in the United States."

According to Zakharova, staff members of Russia’s consulate missions abroad "regularly become the objects of provocations by the American secret services, face obstacles in making official contacts and other restrictions." "There have been very many such cases," the official added. "We don’t speak of them publicly, but regularly notify the American side of our concerns."

"The US authorities have taken a course towards tightening of the notification regime that has existed for decades for the trips of Russian junior and medium-level diplomatic staff 25 miles (40 km) away from the center of the city, in which the relevant representative office is located," the spokeswoman said.

"If Washington really decides to break the existing agreements, we will, of course, respond in a similar manner and introduce analogous restrictions for American diplomats in Russia," she said. "It’s not our choice."