Russia and US to work towards restarting issuance of visas as ambassadors return to Moscow & Washington, reveals senior diplomat
Russian and American diplomats have begun discussions to restart issuing visas to each other’s citizens, as both nations look to normalize the work of their embassies after the return of their ambassadors to Moscow and Washington.
Russia’s emissary, Anatoly Antonov, and his American counterpart, John Sullivan, have agreed to travel back to their posts following a landmark summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden last week in the Swiss city of Geneva. The two ambassadors had been back home for a few months. Following the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the return of the ambassadors an “important but symbolic” gesture.
Now, with the diplomats back at their desks, both the US and Russia wish to restart issuing visas. As things stand, both countries are suffering from reduced capacity following the expulsion of a large number of diplomats, meaning visas had been issued very slowly or not at all.
Also on rt.com Putin rebukes media for negative portrayal of Biden, says US president is actually ‘collected, professional & skillful'The US Embassy in Moscow had come under extra strain in recent weeks, having been placed on Russia’s ‘unfriendly nations’ list, meaning it could no longer employ local workers.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov explained that the two sides would be creating working groups, and progress should be made soon.
“We all saw yesterday that our ambassador arrived in Washington,” Ivanov said. “Now this work will begin, and the formats will be determined.”
Last Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova announced that the government’s coronavirus crisis center had decided to resume air communication with the United States on a regular basis, but with a limited number of flights, and only between Moscow and New York.
However, Ivanov noted that American citizens would be able to enter Russia only after a government decree was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, which is yet to happen.
Last Wednesday, Putin and Biden met for their first meeting since the US president’s inauguration in January. The summit was held at Villa La Grange, a historic 18th-century villa with a beautiful view of Lake Geneva. Before the start of discussions, Putin thanked his American counterpart for taking the initiative to arrange a meeting, underscoring that “Russia and US relations have a lot of accumulated issues.”
Following the encounter, the two leaders adopted a joint statement on strategic stability and agreed to continued consultations on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START III).
After returning to Moscow, Putin was quick to praise Biden, noting that the media image of the US leader was not a true reflection of who he was.
“The image of President Biden which the Russian and even American media paint has nothing to do with reality,” Putin explained. “Biden is a professional. You have to work with him very carefully so as not to miss anything. I can assure you he doesn’t miss a thing.”
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