The State Department issued a statement emphasizing that the United States has once again expressed its worries regarding the Russian Federation’s policy that bans the hiring of local personnel. This policy poses a significant obstacle to achieving stable and sustainable staffing levels at the US Embassy in Moscow.
On Thursday, the State Department announced that the delegations from the United States and Russia continued their “constructive” talks in Istanbul concerning regulations that prevent local personnel from being employed at the embassy in Moscow.
In a statement, the State Department emphasized that the United States expressed its concerns regarding the Russian Federation’s policy that bars the hiring of local staff, which significantly hinders the ability to maintain stable and sustainable staffing levels at the US Embassy in Moscow.
Additionally, both parties “exchanged notes to finalize an agreement aimed at ensuring the stability of diplomatic banking for both Russian and US bilateral missions,” the statement indicated.
In February, Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarked that the US embassy in Moscow “barely functions due to restrictions on access to the banking system.”
In July 2021, the US was compelled to terminate nearly 200 locally employed staff members following a Russian government directive that limited the embassy’s capacity to retain, hire, or contract Russian or third-country personnel, with the exception of security positions.
According to the readout from Thursday, the two sides “discussed the possibility of scheduling a follow-up meeting on these matters in the near future, with the specifics regarding date, location, and representation yet to be determined.”
