Russia's Lavrov granted a visa to attend UN General Assembly

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and members of a Russian delegation have been granted visas to attend the United Nations' General Assembly, a Russian news agency reported, citing the foreign ministry.

Russia has for weeks criticised the United States for not granting members of the Russian delegation visas to attend the 77th session of the assembly, which opens in New York today.

"Today, visas were given to Lavrov and a number of those who will accompany him," Interfax quoted the foreign ministry as saying.

Moscow has accused the United States of trying to block Russia's full participation in the general assembly by delaying the granting of visas for Russians to attend. The forum's high-level sessions get underway next week.

The Kremlin on Tuesday said the United States was "violating its obligations" by not issuing visas to Russia's full delegation and said it was taking steps to hold both the U.N. and the U.S. to account over the situation.

(Source Reuters, Interfax)