Russia Expects UN Chief to Launch Arbitration With US Over Visas - Polyanskiy

UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th March, 2023) Russia is counting on the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to begin arbitration proceedings with the United States over its repeated failure to issue visas to Russian diplomats attending the events at the UN headquarters, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy told Sputnik.

Last week, the head of Russia's Mission Legal Executive Office, Sergey Leonidchenko, said that Moscow seeks an immediate launch of arbitration between the United States and the United Nations, as Washington violates its obligations as the country that hosts the United Nations headquarters and delays visas to Russian diplomats.

"So it's up to the Secretary General and we still count that he will be able to launch this procedure.

We think that he has all the necessary elements to do so," Polyanskiy told Sputnik. "Because, again, the problems pile up right now, they are not solved in the way they should be solved."

"There is no concrete mechanism that would compel him to do it. It's up to him. He is a wise person. He is at the head of our organization so I think that he will find the best moment. We hope that it will be done sooner rather than later," Polyanskiy said when asked if there was any specific timeline regarding the arbitration process.

The problems with diplomatic visas happen not only vis-a-vis Russia, but vis-a-vis other states as well, he added.