Russian FM's press team gets US transit visas, limited to New York area

Journalists accompanying Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on his trip to the UN General Assembly have been issued the U.S. C2 visas, which allow travel “for the purpose of immediate and continuous transit to the headquarters of the United Nations.”

The visa includes a restriction permitting the holder to remain no more than 25 miles (slightly over 40 km) from the centre of New York, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian news agency TASS.

In practice, this means journalists cannot, for example, travel to Washington for interviews.

The visa was issued by the U.S. consulate in Moscow for a single entry, and no fee was required.

Amid ongoing tensions in US-Russia relations, largely due to the conflict in Ukraine, the US has consistently imposed visa restrictions on Russian officials, diplomats, and journalists attending UN events in New York since 2022. These C2 visas, a standard for UN-related transit, are designed to ensure that participants remain within the limited area around Midtown Manhattan, enhancing security and restricting broader access. Similar limitations were also applied to Lavrov's press pool in previous years, such as in 2023.

By Khagan Isayev