Moscow expecting Washington's affirmative answer on visa for Matviyenko
MOSCOW. Aug 25 (Interfax) - Moscow is expecting Washington to approve the issue of a U.S. visa to Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said in a commentary.
This visa situation "has acquired an undesirable nature through the fault of the American side," it said.
"This is the question of the attendance of a senior Russian delegation at an international event in New York planned a long time ago, the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament," the commentary said.
"Hopefully, Washington will finally give an affirmative answer," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Monday reports said Matviyenko, who is blacklisted by the United States, had been denied a U.S. visa and would be unable to attend the events of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in New York.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reminded that the issue of a visa to Matviyenko had long been on the table in contacts between the ministry and U.S. administration members.
A source in the U.S. Embassy in Russia said on Tuesday they had informed the Russian Foreign Ministry that the U.S. visa for Matviyenko would be ready on Wednesday. "We are in touch with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about this particular visa case and have informed them that the visa will be ready in the next day," the Embassy said.