The Kremlin announced on Monday that the Russian delegation to the UN General Assembly, scheduled for the end of September in New York, will be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not intend to travel to the UNGA or even address the world body online and instead he signed a directive designating Lavrov as the head of the Russian delegation.
Apart from Lavrov, the Russian UN delegation consists of the Russian permanent representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, Senator Grigory Karasin and Duma deputy Leonid Slutsky, chairmen of the foreign affairs committees of their respective parliamentary chambers.
It is unclear if Washington will allow Lavrov and Slutsky to enter the US, even for the UN event, since they’re both under US sanctions.
Washington is responsible for recognizing the individuals who are accredited by the UN – they are accorded full diplomatic immunity with respect to their official duties – under a series of treaties and conventions governing the US’ role as the host country of the UN.
Slutsky was sanctioned by the US government sanctioned in March 2014, over his support for Crimea rejoining Russia while Lavrov ‘earned’ his embargo on February 25, after the Biden administration accused him of being directly responsible for Russia’s unprovoked and unlawful invasion of Ukraine.
Kremlin has dismissed the embargo as unilateral and illegitimate.
The 77th session of the UN General Assembly is scheduled to run from September 20-26 at the world body’s New York headquarters on the East River. The UNGA traditionally takes place in the third week of September.
Another sanctioned foreign representative, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, announced last week his plans to travel to New York and address the UNGA, despite the sanctions the US imposed on him in November 2019.
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