Embassy of the United States

(Dec-27-2007) Ambassador Burns attended the December 27 Boeing-VSMPO-Avisma contract signing ceremony. According to the contract, VSMPO will supply titanium products for the new 787 Dreamliners until 2015. [Remarks]

John Quincy Adams statue installed in Embassy courtyard. John Quincy Adams — diplomat, politician, and sixth president of the United States — served as U.S. Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary in St. Petersburg from 1809 to 1814.
The statue commemorates the 200th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States in December, 1807. [More]

(Dec-20-2007) "'What' Not 'Who' Will Shape Russia in 2008." An Op-Ed by Ambassador William J. Burns published in The Moscow Times on December 20, 2007. [Text]

(Dec-20-2007) Ambassador Burns interviewed by Vesti 24. On December 20, Ambassador Burns gave an interview to Vesti 24, Russia's 24/7 news channel. [Video (in Russian)]

(Dec-14-2007) NNSA Deputy Administrator in Moscow. NNSA Deputy Administrator Will Tobey was in Moscow December 10-14 to conduct meetings on nuclear security and nonproliferation with senior officials from Rosatom and the Ministry of Defense. While in Moscow, he helped commission the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) Lunevo Protective Force Training Center, upgraded as a result of a joint DOE/NNSA-Rosatom cost sharing effort. He also visited a Russian nuclear facility, which is receiving security upgrades under the Bush-Putin Bratislava initiative on nuclear security.

Application Fees for Non-Immigrant Visas to Increase on January 1, 2008. Effective January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa will increase from $100 to $131. [More]

Global Nuclear Energy Partnership grows to 19 members. Global Nuclear Energy Partnership grows to 19 members. U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman welcomed three new countries to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership since the Second Ministerial Meeting was held last September in Austria, bringing the total to 19. The Republic of Korea, Canada and Italy now join Australia, Bulgaria, China, France, Ghana, Hungary, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia , Slovenia, Ukraine and the United States in this voluntary partnership, designed to safely and securely expand nuclear power worldwide while responsibly managing nuclear waste and reducing proliferation risks.

(Dec-19-2007) President Commemorates Eid al-Adha. President Bush has sent greetings to Muslims in the United States and around the world for the celebration of the Eid al-Adha holiday. [Text]

(Dec-10-2007) Perspektiva celebrates its 10th Anniversary. At a Spaso House reception December 10, Ambassador Burns highlighted the achievements of the NGO and its local partners in more than 15 regions of Russia. Perspektiva promotes the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society, especially education and employment, and has received U.S. government support since 2003. [Remarks] [Photos]

(Dec-07-2007) Ambassador Burns joined Patriarch Aleksey and other religious leaders in celebrating the annual feast of St. Catherine at the St. Catherine's Church in Moscow December 7. The Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr in the Field is the Moscow representation of the Orthodox Church in America and this year marks the 13th anniversary of OCA representation in Moscow. [Remarks] [More] [Photo Gallery]

(Nov-29-2007) The media outlet RosBusinessConsulting (RBC) conducted an on-line interview with Ambassador Burns. RBC website visitors asked questions about U.S -Russian business relations, investment climate and trade, the World Trade Organization, CFE, missile defense, and visas. The full transcript, photos and audioclip are posted online. [Audio - Russian/English] [Transcript - Russian] [Photos]

(Nov-28-2007) Ambassador Burns interviewed by Andrey Terekhov of the Russian-language daily "Nezavisimaya Gazeta." [Text (in Russian)]

(Nov-27-2007) Ambassador Burns congratulates Orenburg on innovative partnerships to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. During his November 27 visit, Ambassador Burns took part in a HIV/AIDS roundtable discussion on how government and NGOs collaborate in efforts to combat the disease. He also toured the John Deere plant. [More] [Photos]

(Nov-20-2007) Ambassador Burns Travels to Rostov-on-Don. The Ambassador met with civic, education, and political leaders -- as well as students -- and discussed various opportunities for developing greater ties between the United States and Southern Russia November 20. [More] [Photos]

(Nov-09-2007) Ambassador Burns takes part in the "Dialogue of Civilizations and the Future of the Middle East." As part of a November 9-10 seminar in St. Petersburg, sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador noted the challenge of making "common cause" with moderate majorities in the Middle East trying to cope with militant minorities. St. Petersburg State University, World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations" and the "Dialogue Eurasia" Platform cosponsored the event, within the framework of Partnership initiative of the G8 Broader Middle East and North Africa region (BMENA). [Text]

(Nov-08-2007) Dr. Henry Kissinger Commemorates 200 Years of Diplomatic Relations at Spaso House. The former U.S. Secretary of State addressed a special session of the International Academic Conference: 200 Years of U.S. Russian Relations November 8. The two-day conference was sponsored by the U.S. Embassy, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Kennan Institute, and the Russian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and Science and Education. In attendance were seven former U.S. and Russian Ambassadors and academics from all over Russia and the United States. [Text]

(Nov-07-2007) Ambassador Burns Remarks from Bicentennial Academic Conference. The Ambassador spoke at the November 8 opening plenary for the International Academic conference on 200 years of Russian-American relations, cosponsored by the embassy and the Russian Academy of Sciences. [Text]

(Nov-07-2007) Ten Fingerprints to be Scanned During Visa Application Process. Beginning November 6, 2007, all U.S. diplomatic missions in Russia will scan ten fingerprints from every visa applicant. This new biometric standard represents a technology upgrade that is being instituted at U.S. embassies around the world. [More] [Video - Ambassador Burns]

(Nov-06-2007) Ambassador Burns Addresses U.S. and Russian Veterans. Opening the November 6 conference on Developing and Strengthening of International Cooperation, he highlighted the fifteen years of strong bilateral cooperation through the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on Prisoners of War and Missing in Action (POW/MIA). [Text]

(Nov-01-2007) "Twelve Friends of Justice." An Op-Ed by Ambassador William J. Burns published in Moskovskiy Komsomolets on November 1, 2007. [Text]

(Oct-31-2007) Highlights from the U.S. Consul General webchat. Kurt Amend answered American citizens' questions about visitor and spouse visas, Russian visas, passports and other issues on-line October 30. [Text]

(Oct-31-2007) Ambassador Burns Speaks on "The Protection of Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Era." His remarks opened the October 31 roundtable in Moscow organized by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), the International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI), the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) and the Russian Anti-Piracy Organization (RAPO). [Text]

(Oct-30-2007) Doors to Diplomacy Contest Challenges Young Minds. The Department of State and the Global SchoolNet Foundation announce the 2008 "Doors to Diplomacy" award competition, recognizing the student-created Global SchoolNet Web projects that best teach others about the importance of international affairs and diplomacy. [More]

(Oct-26-2007) Ambassador Burns Visits Tomsk. At Tomsk State University (TSU), the Ambassodor highlighted TSU's recent conference celebrating the 200th Anniversary of U.S.-Russia Relations. During his October 26 visit, he met with Governor Viktor Kress and attended a roundtable on legal reform hosted by the Russian-American Rule of Law Consortium at TSU's Law Institute. The Ambassador also met with business and industry leaders and visited a local non-governmental organization that assists disabled children with U.S. government support. [More] [Photos]

(Oct-26-2007) Upcoming Twentieth Anniversary of U.S.-Soviet INF Treaty. The United States and the Soviet Union signed the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles December 8, 1987. At the 62nd Session of the UN General Assembly, the United States and Russia released a Joint Statement highlighting how this agreement decreased international tensions and expressing concern about the present day proliferation of intermediate- and shorter-range missiles [Text]

(Oct-24-2007) Ambassador Burns Opens Seminar on "Airline Operations to the United States." The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK), U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) jointly organized the October 24-25 seminar for Russian and CIS carriers interested in beginning service and airlines already flying to the United States to learn more about U.S. regulatory oversight. [Ambassador's Opening Remarks]

(Oct-23-2007) Ambassador Burns Addresses U.S. Russia Business Council. His keynote speech highlighted "Russia's Economy and Prospects for U.S.-Russian Economic Relations" at the council's annual meeting October 23. The Ambassador also spoke about HIV/AIDS during the "Healthy Nations, Healthy Economies" Leaders Forum on Private-Public Partnerships in Russia, China and India October 24, an event supported by the Global Business Coalition (GBC) on HIV, TB and Malaria. [Keynote Speech] [Remarks to USRBC/Global Business Coalition Reception ]

(Oct-23-2007) Secretary Rice Addresses Conference on U.S.-Soviet Relations in the Era of Détente, 1969-1976. Secretary Rice gave the opening remarks at an October 22 sponsored by the Office of the Historian for the official release of "Soviet-American Relations: The Détente Years, 1969-1972." This joint documentary publication, compiled by historians from both the U.S. Department of State and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provides unprecedented insight into Soviet-American relations during a critical era in the Cold War. [Opening Remarks | Video] [More]

(Oct-22-2007) Ambassador Burns Launches New Exchange Program Between MGIMO and University of Texas. Ambassador Burns opened the conference "Russia and the USA: Toward a Sustainable Partnership through Joint Research and Education," which also launched a new exchange program between the Moscow State Institute for Foreign Relations (MGIMO) and the Robert Strauss Center at the University of Texas. [Ambassador's Remarks]

(Oct-08-2007) 2+2 Meetings. Secretary of State Rice and Secretary of Defense Gates engaged in strategic security talks with their Russian counterparts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Defense Anatoliy Serdyukov in Moscow October 12-13. The discussions centered on security issues, including cooperation in the area of Missile Defense [More]

(Oct-03-2007) U.S.-Russia Space Cooperation. U.S.-Russia Space Cooperation. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and RosCosmos Head Anatoly Perminov held a signing ceremony at Spaso House October 3. NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency agreed to fly two Russian scientific instruments on NASA spacecraft that will conduct unprecedented robotic missions to the moon and Mars. Ambassador Burns hosted the evening which also included a video message from the joint American and Russian International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 15 crew. [More] [Ambassador's Remarks] [Griffin's Remarks] [ISS video message] [ISS Message Transcript] [Michael Griffin interviewed by Vesti (Russian voiceover)]

(Sep-28-2007) Ambassador William Burns addresses the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. During his recent visit to the United States, Ambassador Burns spoke on "200 Years of U.S.-Russian Relations and the Road Ahead" in Chicago September 28. The Ambassador also spoke at The Baker Institute in Houston and at The Fletcher School at Tufts University.[Text]

(Sep-26-2007) Ex-Diplomats Gauge U.S.-Russia Relations on National Public Radio. Ten former Ambassadors from the United States and Russia gathered in Washington at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace September 26. NPR host Robert Siegel talked with two former diplomats: Jack Matlock, U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987-1991 and Yuly Vorontsov, Russia's Ambassador to the United States from 1994-1998. [Listen]

(Sep-25-2007) Russian NBA Star Andrey Kirilenko Conducts Basketball Clinic. Celebrating an afternoon of sports diplomacy, 75 students attended a basketball master class, skills competition, and VIP game at the U.S. Embassy September 25 to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of U.S.-Russia diplomatic relations. The youth basketball clinic was organized in cooperation with the Kirilenko Kids Foundation, founded by Andrei Kirilenko, NBA Utah Jazz star forward and member of the Russian Men's National Basketball Team. [Photos]

(Sep-17-2007) Twenty Years of Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers (NRRC). A joint U.S.-Russian statement commemorates the September 15, 1987 establishment of the NRRCs. The centers originated as a transparency and confidence-building measure and contributed to ending the Cold War and strengthening U.S.-Russia relations. [More]

(Sep-16-2007) Global Nuclear Energy Partnership triples in size to 16 members U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman welcomed senior international officials from sixteen countries for the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership in Vienna, Austria on September 16. Eleven new members --Australia, Bulgaria, Ghana, Hungary, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Ukraine - - joined the partnership and were welcomed by the original GNEP signatories, China, France, Japan, Russia and the United States. All sixteen signed a "Statement of Principles", which addresses the prospects of expanding the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including enhanced safeguards, international fuel service frameworks, and advanced technologies [More]

(Sep-14-2007) Moscow International Business Association Awards Ceremony. Ambassador Burns honored the success of international firms in Moscow September 14. [Text]

(Sep-14-2007) The 2007 International Religious Freedom Report. Secretary of State Rice and Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom John Hanford made public the 2007 Report on International Religious Freedom September 14. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 mandates the annual report to Congress. The report examines barriers to religious freedom in 197 countries and territories, notes countries in which conditions have improved, and outlines U.S. actions to promote international religious freedom. [Introduction, Executive Summary, and Country Reports (Russia).] [Secretary Rice: Text|Video] [Ambassador Hanford Briefing: Text|Video] [Full Report]

(Sep-12-2007) Ambassador Burns Commemorates Danilovsky Monastery Bells Return. After nearly 80 years, the "singing icons" were returned to Moscow September 12. In 1930, during a campaign of repression against the Russian Orthodox Church, Chicago industrialist Charles Crane bought the monastery’s bells from the Soviets and donated them to Harvard University. Legend has it that Crane bought the bells to prevent them from being melted down, and paid only for the cost of the bronze they contained. [Text] [History] [Sound] [Photos]

(Sep-07-2007) Environmental Best Practices for the Black Sea. The Organization for Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and the United States hosted a symposium in Istanbul September 12-13 on "Environmental Protection for Economic Growth: Best Practices Exchange." [More] [Additional Resources] [Op-ed by Colleen P. Graffy]

(Sep-06-2007) Ambassador Burns Visits Chukotka. On September 6-7, Ambassador William Burns visited Anadyr, Chukotka where he met with a wide range of business, civic and political leaders. The Ambassador met with First Deputy Governor Andrei Gorodilov. They discussed development in Chukotka, opportunities for attracting additional American investment, and a number of other issues concerning the strengthening of ties between the United States and the Russian Far East. [More] [Photos]

(Sep-06-2007) U.S. Embassy Moscow's Consul General Talks Visas. Consul General Kurt Amend reached out to a national Russian audience on August 30, 2007 when he gave an interview to BBC Russian Service which was carried both on-line and on the radio. Consul General Amend answered questions on visa issuance, reciprocity agreements, and political asylum. [Audio (in Russian)] [Text (in Russian)]