NEW YORK (UN). Oct 11 (Interfax) - Russian representatives who planned to take part in the work of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee during the General Assembly's 74th session have not received U.S. visas thus far, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department Vladimir Yermakov told reporters in the UN.
"No. This entire issue [has been put] on the back burner," the Russian diplomat said upon being asked whether these members of the Russian delegation have been granted U.S. visas.
The visa issue is still being dealt with, he said.
The UN General Assembly First Committee deals with disarmament and related issues of international security.
The delegation's deputy head and Russia's deputy permanent representative at the UN Office in Geneva, Andrei Belousov, told Interfax on Monday that seven people from the Russian delegation to a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee have yet to receive American visas.
Iranian delegation representative Ali Nasimfar said at the Sixth Committee's meeting on Monday that almost 60 members of the Iranian delegations have not received U.S. visas to attend events of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, prompting Iran to currently withhold its approval of the program of work of the UN General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal). Russia, Syria, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua backed Iran in that situation.
It became known on Tuesday that the UN General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal) adopted a consensus decision and would launch work on a limited number of issues on condition that the situation surrounding the U.S.' refusal to issue visas to a number of delegations would be given scrutiny, including by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.