Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya,
has appealed to the organization's secretary general for mediation over
Moscow's allegations that US authorities are restricting the work of Russian
diplomats by refusing to extend their visas. This was revealed to the TV
channel Russia-24.
In the interview, Nebenzya revealed that he had personally asked UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for help to resolve a longstanding
diplomatic problem.
"I recently went to the secretary general's office and conveyed to him a
message from the (Russian Foreign Affairs) Minister, in which he made a list
of issues, and demanded that the secretary general initiate arbitration
procedures," the Russian envoy explained as reported by RT, Thursday.
(10/2/2022).
According to Nebenzya, the Russian Mission to the United Nations is under
constant pressure due to unresolved visa issues. The headquarters of the
United Nations is located in New York, and is therefore under US
jurisdiction.
Therefore, all diplomats working in the office must have an American visa.
The Moscow representative believes that Washington is deliberately creating
obstacles for Russian diplomats, meaning that they cannot represent their
country properly at the United Nations.
"We have serious visa issues regarding visa extensions for existing
employees, who cannot leave the country after their visa expires, even if
they have serious humanitarian reasons for this, such as, for example, the
death of a close relative," he explained.
If a diplomat returns to Russia, they will not be able to return to the US.
This is not the first time Russia has asked Guterres for help on this issue.
In November 2021, the secretary general expressed concern over the situation
with visas for Russian diplomats and promised to work with the US to find a
solution.
Last month, Russia's Permanent Mission accused the US of abusing its status
as a UN host country, thereby violating international legal norms.
"Such behavior can hardly serve as an example of a proper 'fair game' for
permanent members of the Security Council," the Russian diplomatic mission
said.
