Russia says US restrictions made its diplomats miss meeting of International Grains Council

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian officials were blocked this week from attending a meeting of the International Grain Council, said Russia’s Embassy to Washington.

The number of refusals by the US State Department to Russian diplomats' requests to travel outside Washington is constantly growing, and the officials never explain the reasons for their decisions, the embassy said in a statement on Friday.

"One outrageous example was the ban on the participation of diplomats in the meeting of the International Grain Council on Jan. 24 this year in New Orleans. By such an act, the US has clearly demonstrated that it is easily ready to violate its obligations as the host of multilateral meetings," it said.

The embassy emphasized that the US even prohibits Russian diplomats from attending events that are significant for the history of Russian-American relations, including laying wreaths at the burial places of Soviet soldiers.

"We call on US authorities to soberly assess the consequences of the course towards further erosion of bilateral relations. We demand a responsible approach to the functions of the organizer of international meetings, in which Russia's participation is not only in demand by other states, but also necessary for making effective decisions on issues of concern to the whole world," the embassy stressed.

The International Grains Council is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to boost global cooperation in grains trade based on principles of openness and fairness, contribute to grain market stability, and enhance world food security.

US-Russian relations have been strained for years over such issues as alleged election interference, but especially since Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, starting a nearly three-year-old war, and leading to the US and Western nations imposing a host of sanctions.