The United States has refused to issue a visa to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Alimov.

Axar.az reports, citing Russian media, that Alimov was expected to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting.

Commenting on the situation, Alimov stated that the United States is violating its obligations as the host country of the UN headquarters.

“This is, of course, a violation of the obligations of the United States as the host country of the UN headquarters. No explanations have been provided to us. We continue to work with them on a bilateral basis. This dialogue on visa issues is ongoing. Unfortunately for me, my name ended up on the list of those around whom this dialogue is being conducted,” he said.

According to the deputy minister, Russia continues to engage with the U.S. State Department on the issue, describing the situation as complex. He emphasized that Russia must have access to the headquarters of international organizations of which it is a member.

Alimov also noted that Russia faces visa-related difficulties not only in the United States but also in Vienna and Geneva.

Earlier, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said that the U.S. refusal to issue a visa to Alimov constitutes a violation of Washington’s obligations and described it as disrespect toward China’s presidency of the UN Security Council.