Q: Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said yesterday that the French authorities are continuing to delay the signing of the French-Russian agreement governing the legal status of the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center and are refusing to issue visas to certain Center staff members. Why has the signing of this document been delayed? When is it expected to be signed? And why the refusal to issue visas?
A: An intergovernmental agreement to define the legal status of this center is being negotiated with Russia.
Consequently, visa applications are being processed according the current situation and not the situation that might exist once the talks are concluded.