Issuance by the United States of visas to journalists from the pool of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who arrived in New York to participate in the events of the UN General Assembly, with restrictions on movement reflects Washington's infringement of freedom of speech. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharov, on the air of Sputnik radio.
"Of course, this is another restriction that the United States demonstrates regarding both freedom of speech and the safety of journalists. That is, an element that is demonstrative from their point of view. It has nothing to do with the security of the United States of America or migration policy," she said, TASS quoted her as saying.
Earlier it was reported that representatives of the Russian media were given documents with a note that they could be located at a distance of no more than 25 miles (40 km) from the center of New York.
In September 2023, visas were issued with restrictions to cover Lavrov's participation in the UN high-level week. In July of this year, representatives of the Russian media during the presidency of the Russian Federation in The UN Security Council also received documents of this type allowing travel to The United States "for the purpose of immediate and continuous transit to the headquarters of the United Nations."