Russia’s UN Mission Accuses US Of ‘Discrimination’

In its resolution adopted in December 2022, the UN General Assembly expressed. Mar. 24, 2023.

Published 24 March 2023

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The U.S. is failing to fulfill its commitments as the nation that hosts the United Nations headquarters, a diplomat with the Russian mission to the New York City-based international body has said.

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America’s treatment of diplomats and even Russian nationals employed by the UN amounts to nothing but “discrimination,” the head of the mission’s Legal Executive Office, Sergey Leonidchenko, told a UN meeting on relations with the host nation on Wednesday.

The situation with visas for Russian diplomats “is degrading,” Leonidchenko said, adding that they have to wait for about five months on average. He revealed that as many as 37 diplomats with Russia’s UN mission and 49 of their family members are waiting for their visas to be extended.

According to the official, there are cases when Russians who have been awarded positions within the UN Secretariat structures cannot get US visas “for years” due to Washington’s position. As a result of such “visa discrimination,” department heads cannot fully perform their duties, Leonidchenko stated.

He has eight more months to make a difference. If he changes course on the Russia nonsense people will forget this flub.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 24, 2023

US violates UN agreement – Moscow

In its resolution adopted in December 2022, the UN General Assembly expressed “serious concern” over the US not issuing entry visas to “certain representatives of certain Member states” and also “strongly” urged Washington to “remove all remaining travel restrictions imposed by it on the staff of certain missions” and the Secretariat.

The resolution also maintained that privileges and immunities enjoyed by the UN missions of various nations could not be subject to restrictions resulting from their bilateral relations with the host country.

The document called on Washington to promptly resolve all the existing issues with other nations’ delegations at the UN in New York. Yet, according to Leonidchenko.