Russia on Tuesday accused the US of breaching its obligations as host of the UN after Washington declined to issue a visa to a senior Russian diplomat invited to attend a Security Council meeting led by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Moscow's UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, told the 15-member council that deputy foreign minister Alexander Alimov had been due to represent Russia at the session but was unable to after US authorities refused to grant him a visa.
“Despite all of our attempts to persuade the USA to issue a visa to him, that visa was ultimately not granted,” Mr Nebenzya said.
He said Moscow regarded the decision as a breach of Washington’s commitments under the UN Headquarters Agreement, which requires the US, as host nation, to allow access to UN meetings for representatives of member states.
Mr Nebenzya said the move was also a snub to China, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council this month.
“We also view this as an egregious instance of disrespect for the Chinese presidency of the Security Council, and of the topic that is under discussion today, that of the Charter of the United Nations,” he added.
Mr Nebenzya later told reporters that the visa denial was “not just an insult to us” but also to Beijing “because the Chinese presidency was asking the highest possible level participation".
UN spokesman Farhan Haq repeated the world body's long-standing position that the host country should "issue visas to all of those who need to participate in the activities of the United Nations at our headquarters here".
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was initially scheduled to attend the meeting and hold talks with UN General Antonio Guterres, also did not appear.
Mr Haq said he did not know the reason.
The US State Department and the Iranian mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
