Russia is not to give the embassy residence Spaso House to USA

Russia may address to international arbitration in connection with the Americans’ debt for the rent of embassy residence Spaso House. The problem of this debt is still unsettled. Meanwhile, “the situation obtained some political shade”, the depute Foreign Minister Ivan Sergeyev said. USA owes Russia more than 6 million dollars, he said. According to the leasing contract, signed in 1985, American side should pay to Russia 72,500 rubles every year. After the decrease in the exchange-value of the rouble in 1985 this sum of money lost its value. However Washington rejected Moscow’s proposal to change the amount of the rent, explaining its position by the fact that in the contract this sum of money was not linked to the hard currency. In 1993 Americans stopped to pay for the rent, and Russian side dissolved the agreement. Later on Washington renewed the payments but the Main Department for the Maintenance of Diplomatic Corps returned the money every time. Sergeyev admitted that Americans asked if it was possible to purchase the Spaso House. However, according to him, “the possibility of bargain of Russian real estate by foreign countries in payment of foreign debts is completely excluded”.