US to turn its embassy building in Moscow into a fortified fortress

The US authorities intend to reinforce the building of the US Embassy in Russia after attacks on diplomatic missions in other countries.

The State Department has assigned as much as $9 billion to renovate, repair and enhance the security of the US Embassy in Moscow.

As much as $160.5 million allocated under the program for the maintenance and security of embassies should be used for a comprehensive reconstruction of the embassy in Moscow.

At the same time, the US State Department allocates $420 million to Ukraine for health care, army and economic support. Accordingly, the US State Department intends to spend almost a half of the budget allocated to a whole country on one building only - the embassy building on Novinsky Boulevard, near Arbat Street in the center of Moscow.

On August 23, the US suspended the issuance of nonimmigrant visas across Russia. The procedure was resumed from September 1, but only at the US Embassy in Moscow. The US made such a move in response to the reduction in the number of employees of American embassies in Russia.

Presently, the registration of the US Visitor Visa in Moscow takes about 85 calendar days. Student visa will be ready in 36 days. Those wishing to receive other types of nonimmigrant visas will have to wait for an average of 53 days. At the same time, the Visitor Visa in Kiev and Beijing will be made in four days, in Tbilisi - in 8 days, and in Astana - in 23 days.

Pravda.Ru

Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru