US and Russia Make Progress in Normalizing Diplomatic Missions

Meetings Held in Istanbul

The US and Russia have made progress towards normalizing the work of their diplomatic missions, according to statements from both countries. The progress was made during a meeting held at the Russian consulate building in Istanbul, which was attended by a US delegation led by deputy assistant secretary of state for Russia and Central Europe Sonata Coulter, and Russia’s new ambassador to Washington, Alexander Darchiev.

Key Issues Discussed

The meeting focused on key issues such as the employment of local staff, diplomatic property, and the resumption of direct flights between the two countries. The US delegation spent six hours at the Russian consulate building discussing these issues, with a Reuters witness present at the meeting.

Employment of Local Staff

The US expressed concerns about Russia’s policy prohibiting the employment of local staff, which it said was a key impediment to maintaining stable and sustainable staffing levels at the US embassy in Moscow. Russia’s ambassador to the US, Alexander Darchiev, said that the talks had made it possible to make progress in normalizing the two countries’ diplomatic missions.

Diplomatic Property

The US has put six Russian properties under restrictions, including the Killenworth estate on Long Island, the Pioneer Point “dacha” in Maryland, the Russian consulates in San Francisco and Seattle, and the trade missions in Washington and New York. The delegations also discussed the issue of diplomatic property, with the US seeking to resolve the issue of restricted properties.

Next Steps

The state department said that the delegations exchanged notes to finalize an understanding to ensure the stability of diplomatic banking for Russian and US bilateral missions. The delegations also discussed holding a follow-up meeting on these issues in the near term.

Conclusion

The meeting between the US and Russian delegations marks a positive step towards normalizing diplomatic relations between the two countries. The progress made on key issues such as employment of local staff, diplomatic property, and the resumption of direct flights is a welcome development. However, the US remains concerned about Russia’s policy prohibiting the employment of local staff and will continue to push for a resolution.

FAQs

* What was the purpose of the meeting between the US and Russian delegations?
+ The meeting was held to discuss the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
* What were the key issues discussed during the meeting?
+ The key issues discussed included the employment of local staff, diplomatic property, and the resumption of direct flights between the two countries.
* What is Russia’s policy on the employment of local staff?
+ Russia has a policy prohibiting the employment of local staff, which the US has expressed concerns about.
* What has the US done to restrict Russian diplomatic properties?
+ The US has put six Russian properties under restrictions, including the Killenworth estate on Long Island, the Pioneer Point “dacha” in Maryland, the Russian consulates in San Francisco and Seattle, and the trade missions in Washington and New York.