Russia calls on US to approve visa application of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov delivers a speech during a session of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow, Russia February 15, 2023.
Russian State Duma | Reuters
Russia's Ambassador to the United States called on the State Department to process the visa request of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ahead of a meeting at the United Nations in New York.
Lavrov is slated to chair several UN Security Council meetings during the last week of April.
Russia currently holds the one-month rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.
Anatoly Antonov said the visa request was submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow at the end of March. "However, not a single entry permission has been granted so far," Antonov said, adding that the embassy canceled a visa appointment on March 31 without providing an explanation.
"We urge Washington to immediately issue visas for our delegation, as well as for our journalists. Failure to do that is a violation of the United States' obligations as the host country of the UN headquarters," he said.
Antonov added that the U.S. must also grant flight permissions for the Russian delegation "without any conditions or restrictions."
— Amanda Macias