MOSCOW - The Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said on Friday that the United States had effectively blocked Russia's participation in a nuclear energy conference in Washington by failing to issue entry visas.
Relations between the United States and Russia have sunk to their lowest level since the depths of the Cold War after Moscow sent its armed forces troops into Ukraine in February.
Rosatom and Russia's industrial safety watchdog, Rostekhnadzor, planned to attend the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) ministerial conference in Washington on Oct. 26-28 but have yet to receive visas, Rosatom said in a statement.
"We consider this to be a show of disrespect on part of the United States towards the IAEA," it added.
"The American side has effectively blocked Russia's participation in this international IAEA conference, which it undertook to hold in the United States."
Rosatom said that its director general, Alexei Likhachev, would take part via video link.
Rosatom, created by President Vladimir Putin in 2007, controls Russia's uranium and nuclear fuel production as well as power stations and a host of nuclear-based enterprises.
The corporation plays a large role in the global nuclear industry and, unlike many Russian state enterprises, has not been subjected to Western sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.