U.S. new ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman walks after presenting diplomatic credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia October 3, 2017. REUTERS/Pavel Golovkin/Pool

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Visa consultations in U.S. consulates in Russia could be resumed in the near future, TASS news agency cited U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman as saying on Monday.

“I believe that in the near future they (visa consultations) may be resumed,” the agency quoted him as saying.

“We are trying to do everything possible, and I hope that in coming weeks we will be able to effectively issues visas.”

In August, the United States began to scale back its visa services in Russia, drawing an angry reaction from Moscow three weeks after President Vladimir Putin ordered Washington to more than halve its embassy and consular staff.

The U.S. consulates are located in St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg in the Urals and Vladivostok in Russia’s far east.