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Guterres calls for normalizing situation with issuance of US visas to diplomats

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that "it is absolutely essential to have normality in the attribution of visas"

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

THE UNITED NATIONS, February 4. /TASS/. The situation with issuance of US visas to diplomats attending UN events in New York should be normalized, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres told a press conference on Tuesday in response to a TASS question.

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"As a matter of fact, I'm very concerned and very active together with our Office of Legal Affairs and the General Assembly commission that is in charge of the relations with the Host Country and which is presided by the Permanent Representative of Cyprus that have a very important action also in this regard," Guterres said

"It is absolutely essential to have normality in the attribution of visas. Of course, there are situations that might justify, for matters of national security, any restriction. That is understandable in any country of the world," he added. "WUnat we are witnessing is, of course, something that needs to be normalized, and we need to have normal conditions for functioning of the United Nations, which means that visas needs to be attributed in a regular way," he concluded.

Since the start of the 74 session of the UN General Assembly, the United States has failed to issue visas to 18 Russian delegates.

In December, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on the US to stop the practice of refusing or delaying visas to diplomats from several countries, including Russia, Iran and Venezuela, who plan to take part in events held under the auspices of the United Nations Organization. However, the United States failed to issue a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in January.

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