UN expected to respond to lack of US visas to Russian press: Moscow
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Russia indirectly calls on the United Nations to respond to the US blocking the issuance of visas for Russian journalists accompanying Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to New York.
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The symbol of the United Nations is displayed outside the Secretariat Building, February 28, 2022 (AP)
Russia expects the United Nations leadership and specialized international mechanisms to take the necessary steps regarding Washington not issuing visas to the Russian journalists accompanying Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the UN Security Council session in New York, the Russian Permanent Mission to the UN said Sunday.
"We consider this step as another manifestation of neglect of the international law by the United States," Moscow's mission stressed.
"When denying access to UN events for Russian journalists, the US authorities once again demonstrate their true attitude to freedom of speech and availability of information," it added.
In response, the deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, refrained from commenting on Washington's refusal to issue visas to the aforementioned Russian journalists.
"I have no comment," Haq told Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
However, Moscow slammed the US decision not to issue visas to journalists, saying Washington breached its pledges to protect freedom of speech.
Lavrov is expected to chair two UN Security Council meetings on Monday and Tuesday, and he is also set to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov condemned Washington's incepted hassle of visas for Russian journalists.
"The Americans pulled yet another outrageous and totally unacceptable trick in preparation for the participation of Russian Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov in the events of the outgoing Russian presidency of the UN Security Council," the top diplomat underlined.
Ryabkov described the visa hassle as "a game of nerves, a mockery, and yet another reflection of the fact that our colleagues in Washington are not only not to be trusted, they are simply not worth listening to."
"Our press pool was bound to be with us. That didn't happen. The responsibility lies squarely on the American side."
Back in early April, Ryabkov pointed out that the United States has not yet provided visas to the Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to attend the United Nations Security Council session.
On April 1st, Russia officially took the rotating presidency of the UNSC, despite Ukraine calling on members to block the move. the Kremlin announced that it had planned to "exercise all its rights" in the role.
It was also announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry that Lavrov would be leading a debate on the Middle East on April 25.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister described Russia's presidency of the UNSC as "the worst joke ever for April Fool's Day" and a "stark reminder that something is wrong with the way international security architecture is functioning."
Ukraine's presidential advisor Mykhaylo Podolyak claimed the move was "another rape of international law... an entity that wages an aggressive war, violates the norms of humanitarian and criminal law, destroys the UN Charter, neglects nuclear safety, can't head the world's key security body."
