- Russia protests US visa refusal for UN official.
- US obligations under UN Headquarters Agreement cited by Russia.
- Similar Alimov visa denial occurred previously in May.
- US has not publicly explained the visa denial.
Russia has protested the United States’ reported refusal to issue a visa to Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov, who was due to join Moscow’s delegation for the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The dispute surfaced as the UNGA’s high-level segment began on September 22, with Russian officials accusing Washington of failing to meet its obligations as the host country of the United Nations.
Alimov oversees UN-related matters at Russia’s Foreign Ministry and was expected to be part of the delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russian officials said the visa was not granted despite the diplomat’s planned participation in UN meetings.
Kremlin Calls It Unfriendly
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the reported visa refusal as an “unfriendly” move and said Moscow would raise the matter with US officials. The Russian government has framed the issue around the United States’ responsibilities under the UN Headquarters Agreement, which governs access to the UN headquarters in New York.
Russian Foreign Ministry official Kirill Logvinov also criticised the decision, saying Russian officials sent to work at the UN should not face what Moscow considers discriminatory treatment, as per reports.
The Russian position echoes an earlier dispute over Alimov’s travel to New York. In May, Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the US had failed to issue Alimov a visa for a UN Security Council meeting chaired by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Moscow described that decision as a breach of US obligations under the Headquarters Agreement.
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May Visa Denial Recalled
Russian officials have pointed to the May episode as evidence that the latest refusal is not an isolated incident involving Alimov.
At the time, Nebenzia said Alimov had been scheduled to represent Russia at the Security Council meeting but could not attend because the visa was not granted. Russia argued that the United States, as host of the UN headquarters, was required to facilitate access for officials of member states attending UN activities.
A UN spokesperson said in May that the organisation expected the host country to meet its obligations under the Headquarters Agreement and issue visas to those who needed to participate in UN activities.
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US Reason Not Disclosed
There has been no public explanation from Washington in the latest case detailing why Alimov’s visa was not granted.
The reported refusal concerns Alimov, who handles the UN portfolio for Russia’s Foreign Ministry. Russia’s delegation at the General Assembly is being headed by Lavrov.
The reported visa issue comes amid broader disputes over access to the UN headquarters. Russia has repeatedly raised concerns about difficulties faced by some of its officials in obtaining US visas for UN-related meetings.
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