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Moscow urges US to return to normal visa functions, Russian ambassador says

An impression is taking hold that Washington in general is against Russians traveling to the US, Anatoly Antonov notes

WASHINGTON, November 18. /TASS/. The Russian side is urging the US to return to regular operations in the sphere of visas. In addition, Moscow is troubled over the current circumstances where Russian citizens are forced to travel to other countries in order to apply for an American visa, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told journalists on Wednesday.

He pointed out that due to the US freezing the operations of its consulates general in Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg and of halting visa applications at the consular department at the Embassy in Moscow, this resulted in many Russians "being forced now to fly to other countries in order to apply for visas at US consular missions located there."

"Of course, we are upset by this state of affairs. At meetings with State Department representatives, we have urged our colleagues to return to normal consular and visa operations. We are calling for this to be done as soon as possible to activate business, cultural, scientific, sports, and connections simply with family and friends," the envoy stressed.

"An impression is taking hold that Washington in general is against Russians traveling to the US. As if they are afraid of truthful information about Russia that they will bring with them, and they don’t want it to reach Americans," the ambassador noted.

Antonov specified that Russian diplomatic agencies in the US "despite all well-known difficulties" continue to fully perform visa operations so Americans have no issues with obtaining Russian visas.

Visa issues for Russians

In response to anti-Russian sanctions declared by Washington and yet another round of expelling Russian diplomats, Moscow introduced a ban on hiring Russian and third-country citizens by the US Embassy in Russia. The US Embassy in Moscow announced that beginning on May 12, it would reduce consular services, along with suspending the issuance of non-diplomatic visas.

As a representative of the US Embassy in Moscow told TASS in August, Russians were recommended to apply for non-immigrant visas at the US diplomatic missions in other countries. In October, the Department of State also recommended that Russian citizens go to Warsaw for US non-immigrant visas.

Since August 1, the US Embassy in Russia has been operating with a skeleton staff of 120 employees.