America asks Russia to close consulate and two diplomatic missions

America asks Russia to close consulate and two diplomatic missions



Date of release: 2017/8/31 


The United States has asked Russia to close its consulate in San Francisco and two other facilities in response to Moscow's "unjustified" decision to downsize its US diplomatic mission, according to a US State Department statement.
Russia will have to close the consulate and two Russian diplomatic missions in Washington and New York by Saturday.
Moscow has asked Washington to reduce its diplomatic mission to more than half after the US Congress approved the imposition of new sanctions on Russia.
The Russian move followed the US sanctions that followed Russia's annexation of the Crimea and allegations of Russian intervention in the US elections, which led to the expulsion of the United States to 35 Russian diplomats from its territory.
Former US President Barack Obama ordered the expulsion of Russian diplomats, as well as the closure of two compounds belonging to the Russian embassy in December.
Although Russian President Vladimir Putin did not respond at the time to the move, which came at the end of the period of President Obama and Donald Trump, the US presidency, but returned on 31 July announced that 755 US diplomats to leave the country in response to the sanctions America.
The deadline for US diplomats to leave Russia expires on Friday, just a day before the US deadline to close the Russian consulate and the two enclaves.
Although the US State Department said the measure was "based on the principle of reciprocity" and in response to the Russians' reduction of the US mission in Russia "unjustified and harmful", but also indicated that it wants to end the ongoing tension between the two countries.
"While the disparity in the number of diplomats and consular offices continues, we have chosen to allow the Russian government to retain some of its attaches in an effort to stop the steady deterioration of our relations," she said.
She urged the US State Department to avoid further reactions from both sides and to move ahead with the goal announced by the two heads of state to improve relations between their countries and increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Russia has five missions in Washington, San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Houston, according to the Russian embassy website.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday expressed "regret over the escalation of tension in relations between the two countries."
Lavrov and US Secretary of State Tillerson are scheduled to meet in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York

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