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Lavrov Blames US Embassy for Hiring Russians Contrary to Int'l Convetion Rules

© AFP 2023 / Alexander NEMENOVRussian policemen stand guard in front of the US Embassy in Moscow on December 30, 2016
Russian policemen stand guard in front of the US Embassy in Moscow on December 30, 2016 - Sputnik International
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the US embassy in Moscow hires Russian citizens to perform non-technical work contrary to international conventions.

"According to the Vienna Convention [on Diplomatic Relations], if you hire nationals of the country where your embassy works, these people can exclusively be technical staff — drivers, typists, stenographers. They don't have the right to get involved in diplomatic activity, including political aspects," Lavrov said.

Despite this fact, Russia has repeatedly learned about incidents when locally hired US embassy employees toured regions and surveyed the local residents on their opinion about the governor or federal authorities.

"In this case, we politely ask our US colleagues to break the employment relationships with these people. I think that they [US authorities] don't perceive these cases as interference, because, first, they feel free to do everything they want, and second, it runs in their blood," Lavov said.

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