Russian Foreign Ministry announces agreement with US on 'real estate'

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement following a critical meeting held between Russian and US delegations at the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul.

The statement from the Foreign Ministry said, "A round of Russian-American expert consultations was held in Istanbul with the aim of normalizing the functioning of the two countries' diplomatic missions and eliminating the 'irritants' that have accumulated in the bilateral 'dossier'."

The statement, which noted that the Russian and US delegations exchanged notes underlining mutual obligations to ensure the uninterrupted banking and financial services support for their diplomatic missions and to ensure Russia's contributions to the budgets of the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations, said, "In the context of the Russian side raising the issue of the return of six diplomatic properties seized by US authorities that are owned by Russia, an agreement was reached to develop a roadmap. Russian Ambassador Darchiev pointed out the importance of urgent practical steps in this direction, specifically for Russian representatives to be granted immediate access to these properties for inspection and to assess the damages incurred."

The statement, which conveyed that the meeting addressed efforts to facilitate visa procedures for diplomatic mission personnel and freedom of movement in the host country, added, "The Russian Ambassador called for a more determined approach to resolving major issues that would contribute to strengthening mutual trust and expanding business and inter-societal ties, such as the resumption of direct air travel."

The statement, which expressed that it was decided to quickly address the proposals brought to the agenda as a result of the consultations, emphasized that the goal of the parties is to reach mutually acceptable solutions by the next round of consultations.

DELEGATIONS MET IN ISTANBUL

While the Russian delegation was led by Russia's Ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiev and the US delegation was led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter, the meeting lasted approximately 5 and a half hours. The US and Russian delegations had previously met in Istanbul on February 27 and held talks at the US Consulate General residence in Istanbul to discuss embassy activities within the scope of normalizing relations between the two countries.