The cottage is at the top
Russia wants the US to unlock its real estate to a meeting of presidents.
If the U.S. government doesn’t unlock the Russian diplomatic real estate in the States of new York and Maryland, will be mirrored measures against American property in Russia. This was announced yesterday the official representative of Russian foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova. According to Russian diplomatic sources, “Kommersant”, Moscow hopes that the issue will be resolved before the scheduled July meeting of the presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States. However, according to “Kommersant”, the Russian authorities do not rule out asymmetric measures.
If there is a situation when Washington would not resume diplomatic immunity of our property, the answer is in the attitude of the American facilities in Russia will be a mirror. About the U.S. Embassy in Moscow warned. Required to immediately return to us the fact that the selected completely illegal.Maria Sharewareemail the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
We will remind, on December 29 last year, the outgoing US President Barack Obama has introduced a number of new sanctions against Russia. From the United States were sent to 35 of Russian diplomats and their family members. In addition, was denied access to the so-called suburban dachas of Russia’s permanent mission in new York and Embassy in Washington. The Russian foreign Ministry said then that the Obama administration is in violation of international law went on the actual expropriation of Russian state property. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to refrain from reflex action — as noted by the experts, with the expectation that after the inauguration of Donald trump Washington politics will change dramatically. However, since then significant progress has occurred and in Moscow, as already reported by Kommersant, thinking about a response.
In early may, diplomatic sources in Moscow said that the White house was ready to remove the superimposed Barack Obama’s limits on one condition — if the government will agree to allocate in the St. Petersburg area for construction of a new, larger complex of buildings of the US Consulate. Such permission was issued in 2014, but in the midst of a crisis in relations with the West, recalled him.
In Moscow, however, the requirement of Washington found unacceptable. “They wanted this land in exchange for something that belongs to us. It would be unequal exchange,” said one of the interlocutors “Kommersant”. The authorities of the Russian Federation insisted that the issue with unlocking the Embassy complexes were resolved “without artificial linkages”.
On may 31, the Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported that the administration of Donald trump can make a decision on the return of the Russian resorts, but without the restoration of diplomatic immunity. As explained by the publication, if the premises will lose the immunity, they will be considered conventional buildings, and, in particular, US law enforcement agencies can get access.
According to Maria Zakharova, “in the U.S. Department of State, this approach is not yet confirmed”. However, if it is confirmed, it is unlikely to suit Moscow. “It would be an unprecedented phenomenon. We warn those in Washington to whom this idea might be like to try to implement it”, — said yesterday, Deputy foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. The diplomat said that the next consultations of the Russian departmenet in the United States can go to the end of the month, but the exact date of the meeting yet.
Meanwhile, according to Russian diplomatic sources, “b”,
Moscow hopes that the issue with unlocking the Embassy of villas will be resolved before the scheduled beginning of July the meeting of the presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States in Hamburg.
Otherwise, Russian authorities may seize the American state in Moscow. According to one of interlocutors of “Kommersant”, we will focus primarily on diplomatic dacha in Serebryany Bor and operated by the U.S. Embassy warehouse on Road street.
Spaso house — the residence of the American Ambassador in Arbat district — retaliatory restrictive measures are unlikely to affect. Most likely, they will not affect the building of the Anglo-American school in the Russian capital. From the school, however, according to “Kommersant”, may be required to register in accordance with Russian law. Now the school has a special status — it is not the “Ambassador” in the classic sense, working on the basis of a commercial contract with the three embassies — the US, UK and Canada. Russian license school is not, and, according to one of interlocutors of “Kommersant”, it can make “legit”.
As explained “Kommersant” the head of the Moscow branch of the Association non-commercial educational organizations of Karina Chernyakova, list of documents for the grant of the license includes 17 items. Some of them is easy to perform: for example, the school must confirm that it has the necessary material and technical basis and comply with the rules of fire safety. But other difficulties may arise: the school must submit a training plan, explanatory note to it and the educational program that must comply with the Federal educational standard of the Russian Federation. The school administration did not respond to a request “b” on comments.
However, according to “Kommersant”, the Russian authorities do not exclude other asymmetric measures.
The press Secretary of the US Embassy in Moscow, Maria Olsen to the question “Kommersant” about the prospects of settlement of the conflict over blocked Russian real estate answered vaguely: “In the course of our dialogue with the Russian authorities, we continue to explore opportunities for improving relations between the US and Russia. But we will not publicly comment on the details of diplomatic negotiations between our countries”.
Elena Chernenko Galina Dudina