ICJ Will Not Settle Issue Of US Denying Visas To Russian Diplomats - President

UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2019) The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will not address the issue of the United States' refusal to issue visas to Russian diplomats who were planned to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly, ICJ President Abdulqawi Yusuf said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

"If it has to go to the court, it will not be our court because the host country agreement is between the United Nations and the United States of America, unless it is brought to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion, which is very unlikely," Yusuf said. "It will have to go to, perhaps, the local courts here in the United States."

Yusuf added that he hopes that the visa dispute between Russia and the United States will be settled through the UN Committee on Relations with the Host Country.

"I hope they will be able to find a solution for that kind of problem," Yusuf said.

In September, some UN General Assembly delegates, including from Russia, Iran and Cuba, were not issued US visas, resulting in forced pause in the work of the UN General Assembly's First and Sixth committees.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow may resort to advocating for the relocation of the work of select UN General Assembly committees to another city such as Geneva or Vienna.