US ready to return flags to Russia - State Department official

US ready to return flags to Russia - State Department official
# 13 October 2017 02:16 (UTC +04:00)

The US authorities have notified Russian diplomats that they are ready to return the state flags removed from Russian diplomatic missions in the US, a State Department official told TASS on Thursday, APA reports quoting ITAR-TASS.


"The flags at the former Russian consular properties in San Francisco were respectfully lowered and are safely stored within each of the buildings. We have informed the Russian Embassy that we are happy to return the flags to the Russian government’s possession, at its convenience," the diplomat said.


The United States on September 3 closed down Russia’s trade mission in Washington and its branch in New York and also demanded curtailing the activity of Russia’s consulate-general in San Francisco and vacating the residence of consul-general in that city in California. The US authorities set October 1 as the deadline for the staff of the consulate-general in San Francisco to pack their bags.


The US Administration believes that the diplomatic immunity has been lifted from these facilities. In the meantime, they still remain Russian property except for the office of the trade mission in New York, which was used under a lease contract.

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THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED