Speaks on Special immigrant visa for Afghans
Admin l Sunday, June 13, 2021
WASHINGTON – The United States of America is already talking tough ahead of meeting by President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin. Speaking in a interview with CNN, Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken said the meeting will not be a flip-the-light-switch moment.
“What the President is going to make clear to President Putin is that we seek a more stable, predictable relationship with Russia, and if so, there are areas where our interests overlap, and we may be able to find ways to work together.
“But if Russia chooses to continue reckless and aggressive actions, we will respond forcefully, as the President has already demonstrated that he would when it comes to election interference or the SolarWinds cyber attack or the attempt to murder Mr. Navalny with a chemical weapon”, Blinken said, adding that the meeting is the beginning of testing the proposition, the question of whether Russia is interested in a more stable and predictable relationship and finding areas to work together.
Speaking on Afghans who has assisted Americans during the long war, Blinken said the U.S is determined to make good its obligation to those who” helped us, who put their lives on the line, put their families’ lives on the line working with our military, working with our diplomats. And there’s a special program for so-called Special Immigrant Visas that give them a dedicated channel to apply to come to the United States”, he said.
Blinken explained that the U.S has put in significant resources into making sure that that program can work fast and work effectively “so that we can process any requests that we get for these so-called Special Immigrant Visas”.
He said about 50 people have been added to the staff in Washington in the State Department to help do that. “We want to make sure that anyone who has helped us we are making good on our obligation to help them”, he said.
