Price: No meeting has been scheduled with Antonov so far
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In response to Russian Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that no meeting has been arranged between Antonov and the State Department.
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State Department spokesperson Ned Price
There are no meetings scheduled between US officials and Russian officials, including Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Antonov announced he will visit the State Department on Thursday to meet with US authorities to address concerns around arranging visas for Russian officials who would attend a high-level week at the UN in New York City come September.
During his press brief, Price said that "I don't have any meetings with Russian officials, including the Ambassador to read out for tomorrow, but if we have anything to share tomorrow, we will."
According to Price, the US has a particular obligation to arrange travel for people participating in UN activities given that it is the host country of the UN headquarters.
According to Antonov, the Russian Embassy in the United States has pushed the White House and the State Department to issue visas to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and all members of the Russian delegation in time for the United Nations General Assembly taking place in September.
"The embassy has already applied to the White House, and the State Department with a demand to fulfill the obligations of the host country on whose territory the UN headquarters is based, and to immediately issue a visa to the minister and all members of the Russian delegation," Antonov's statement read.
Antonov also announced that "We will continue to insist on ensuring unhindered entry to all representatives of Russia participating in the event of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly," adding that "Tomorrow, I will have another visit to the State Department, where one of the central issues I intend to raise is this problem. The problem of full-scale, full-fledged participation of our minister and delegation at the upcoming September events in New York."
