Normalizing Relations Possible Only After US Returns Russian Diplomatic Property - Embassy

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th November, 2021) Bilateral relations can not be normalized without the United States returning to Russia the diplomatic property it has confiscated, Sergey Koshelev, Minister-Counselor of the Russian Embassy in Washington, said.

"Today, there are no prospects to say that tomorrow we will be able to come up with a solution to the problem (of bilateral relations). ... Our position is that any normalization of relations can occur only after the unconditional return to Russia of all of its confiscated property," Koshelev said in an interview with RTVI on Friday.

Koshelev also said besides returning the six diplomatic facilities confiscated by the United States over the past several years, Russia also demands compensation for all financial losses it has suffered that can reach thousands of Dollars.

Over the past several years, Russian diplomats asked the US government 470 times to provide access to the confiscated facilities in order to make an inventory and determine their condition, he said.

For Moscow, the issue of its taken diplomatic property is the most acute irritant in the relations with Washington that are already at a low level and can be characterized as being in "deep crisis," Koshelev said.

A row between the United States and Russia over the latter's diplomatic properties erupted in December 2016, when outgoing US President Barack Obama closed two Russian diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland and expelled 35 Russian diplomats.

In 2017, the administration of President Donald Trump shut down the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco as well as the trade missions in New York City and Washington in response to Moscow's decision to reduce the number of US diplomatic staff in Russia.

The United States also closed the Russian Consulate in Seattle the following year over allegations that Moscow was involved in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom. State Department officials entered the residence of the Russian consul by breaking all the locks there.

Russia said the US actions are in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic and Consular Relations as well as other aspects of international law.