US, Russia hold 'constructive' talks on embassy staffing during Istanbul meeting

The State Department on Thursday said that the US and Russian delegations continued their “constructive” discussions in Istanbul regarding rules that prohibit local staff from working at the embassy in Moscow.

“The United States reiterated its concerns about the Russian Federation’s policy prohibiting the employment of local staff, which is the key impediment to maintaining for stable and sustainable staffing levels at the US Embassy in Moscow,” the State Department said in a statement.

The two sides also “exchanged notes to finalise an understanding to ensure the stability of diplomatic banking for Russian and US. bilateral missions,” the statement added.

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In February, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US embassy in Moscow “barely operates due to being denied access to the banking system.”

In July 2021, the US was forced to lay off nearly 200 locally employed staff following a Russian government measure that restricted the embassy’s ability to retain, hire, or contract Russian or third-country personnel, except for security roles.

According to Thursday’s readout, the two sides “discussed holding a follow-up meeting on these issues in the near term, as needed, with the date, location, and representation to be determined.”

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With inputs from agencies