The Consulate General in Yekaterinburg is suspended; the one in Vladivostok is being closed
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has decided to close the US Consulate-General in Vladivostok and suspend the Consulate-General in Yekaterinburg. A State Department spokesman told TASS on Friday.
“The Secretary of State, in close consultation with [US Ambassador to Russia] John Sullivan, has decided to close the US Consulate General in Vladivostok and suspend the US Consulate General in Ekaterinburg as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the safe and secure operation of the US diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation”, – the diplomat said.
He added that the “foreign ministry’s decision on the US consulates general in Russia was taken to optimise the work of the [diplomatic] mission of the US in the Russian Federation”.
“The resulting reorganization of the diplomatic staff at the US embassy in Moscow will allow us to promote our foreign policy interests in Russia in the most efficient and safe manner”, – the agency’s interlocutor explained.
“No actions related to Russian consulates general in the US are planned”, – he concluded.