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Russia Refuses Peace Corps Workers
by Teri Schultz
Fox News
WASHINGTON — Without any official explanation, Russia is refusing to accept a large number of American Peace Corps workers.
"For the past year, the Peace Corps has experienced some significant problems with visa delay -- denial or even cancellation of -- for some of the currently serving volunteers," State Department spokesman Phil Reeker said. "And so 30 of the 64 volunteers currently in Russia have not been issued a second-year visa."
Since volunteers are enlisted for two years, those affected by this decision will return to the United States while their reassignment is undertaken.
Additionally, 62 volunteers who would have been arriving in Russia next month will not be going.
"If they're not needed in Russia, then we can certainly redirect that resource elsewhere where our volunteers may be more effective in doing that," Reeker said.
Press reports in Russia have indicated the government's dissatisfaction with the "skill level" of the average Peace Corps worker, but the State Department rejects that.
"Our Peace Corps volunteers are very well qualified in the fields to which they're assigned, and they're a resource that has been put to use in many countries," Reeker said.
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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Special Reports; Peace Corps - Overseas Programs; COS - Russia