MOSCOW. Sept 24 (Interfax) - The United States is lying when it says that members of the Russian delegation to the UN General Assembly session submitted their visa applications too late as this was done 55 days ago, Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov told the press on Tuesday.
"The allegations that the Russian side was late in submitting visa applications do not hold water. I intentionally checked the filing process today: the Russian Foreign Ministry sent an official note and our visa documents to the U.S. embassy in Moscow on July 30, 2019, i.e., 55 days ago," Kosachyov said.
"They had more than enough time in theory and in essence to deal with any arising issues," he said.
The U.S. allegations that the applications were filed too late are "a lie," Kosachyov said.
"The Americans have intentionally stalled the visa issuance in order to prevent us from visiting New York and participating in the UN General Assembly session as a delegation. Of course, this is a political move, not a technicality," he said.
Kosachyov, who is one of ten delegation members denied visas, has been under United States sanctions since April 2018. He was nevertheless issued a restricted U.S. visa to attend the UN General Assembly session last year.
"I was under the sanctions last year, as well, when I filed a similar application for a 'UN' visa to the previous session of the General Assembly. I was on that delegation, I got my visa, and I successfully attended the General Assembly session despite being under sanctions, albeit in a limited format. U.S. officers warned me three times that I had no right to hold any meetings but those in the UN," Kosachyov said.