NEW YORK, March 26. /TASS/. Consulate General of Russia in Seattle stopped Monday a reception of citizens. This is stated in the message, posted Monday on the website of the Consulate General.
“In connection with the decision of the us authorities to close the Russian Consulate General in Seattle for a reception of citizens on passport, visa issues, as well as for citizenship and notary services from March 26 terminated”, – stated in the message. Earlier on Monday, the Consul General of Russia in Seattle Halit Aisin said in an interview with TASS that the Consulate General at the request of the us authorities will cease the activity by 17:00 local time on 30 March (03:00 GMT March 31).
As reported TASS diplomatic source in connection with the closing of the Consulate General of Russia in Seattle borders of the consular districts that serve the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in USA will change. “In the coming days there will be a redistribution of the consular districts”, – he said. Within the consular district, which served the Russian Consulate General in Seattle, was the States of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming, Utah, and GUAM, American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands. Other States in the continental U.S. refer to consular districts, which serve the consular Department of the Embassy of Russia in Washington and Consulate General of Russia in new York and Houston (Texas).
On Monday, the US administration announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats 48 and 12 diplomatic employees of the Russian permanent mission to the UN in new York. In addition, the Consulate will be closed in Seattle (Washington state). It the American authorities took a week. The reason for the expulsion was the poisoning in Britain of former GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal, who was sentenced in Russia for espionage in favour of great Britain, his daughter Julia, who, according to the British side, have been exposed to nerve agents.
Later London made a statement that this substance was supposedly developed in Russia, and on this basis accused Moscow of involvement in the incident. The Russian side has categorically denied all the speculation, arguing that programmes such substances neither in the USSR nor in Russia did not exist.
