The United States and several Western countries continue to complicate the procedures for obtaining visas for Russians who are engaged in ensuring the functioning of Russian foreign agencies and federal real estate abroad, and this fact leads to the disruption of state contracts and jeopardizes the normal operation of Russian missions, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Consular Department, Ivan Volynkin, said on Wednesday during a meeting of the Russian upper house's international affairs committee
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st April, 2020) The United States and several Western countries continue to complicate the procedures for obtaining visas for Russians who are engaged in ensuring the functioning of Russian foreign agencies and federal real estate abroad, and this fact leads to the disruption of state contracts and jeopardizes the normal operation of Russian missions, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Consular Department, Ivan Volynkin, said on Wednesday during a meeting of the Russian upper house's international affairs committee.
"As of now, a number of countries, first of all, the US, Canada, the UK, continue to complicate the procedure for obtaining visas for a specified category of citizens [who manage Russia's federal real estate abroad] using a regular passport. The unfolding situation, which is of a systemic nature, leads to a violation of the deadlines for implementing state contracts, and in some cases jeopardizes the normal functioning of Russian foreign agencies," Volynkin said.
The diplomat noted that some departments of the ministry, including security, information support and others that regularly send employees of contracting organizations to official business trips, also had a critical need for service passports.
Previously, these passports were issued for full-time employees of Russian diplomatic missions and consular offices, official representations to international organizations, military personnel sent to perform military service outside Russia, citizens making business trips, as well as employees of state corporations and employees of the Central Bank. However, on Tuesday, the parliament passed amendments that were proposed by the government and added to the list those who manage Russia's federal real estate abroad and employees of contracting organizations going abroad to fulfill state orders.
