In-depth reporting, data and actionable intelligence for policy professionals – all in one place.
Visas arrive at last minute for Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and ‘a number of accompanying persons.’
Russia’s delegation to the United Nations, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, has received U.S. visas to attend the U.N. General Assembly, Russian news agencies reported Tuesday.
“Today, visas were given to Lavrov and a number of accompanying persons,” Russian outlets quoted the foreign ministry as saying, adding that Russia is expecting a “prompt resolution” of logistical issues around the arrival of Russian representatives to the U.S. The UNGA session starts in New York on Tuesday.
Moscow has for weeks blamed Washington for holding up the process, with the Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the U.S. had “violated” its obligations by not issuing visas to the Russian delegation.
The Kremlin, which invaded had requested 56 visas. Earlier this month, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Vasily Nebenzya urged U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to help speed up the process.
The visas had still not been issued on Sunday, with Lavrov telling Russian media: “I asked my colleagues not to remind the U.S. about this anymore … the U.N. secretary-general has the duty to ensure the participation of all delegations in the organization’s activities, including the General Assembly. Let’s see.”
Log in to access content and manage your profile. If you do not have an account you can register here.
Forgot your password?
By logging in, you confirm acceptance of our POLITICO Privacy Policy.