Documents or Communications with the Russian Bank VTB (U.S. Department of State)

Thank you for filing your FOIA request online on 10/30/2020. Here is a review of your request.

The records I request can be described as follows:

To Whom It May Concern:Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:All documents and communications, of any form whatsoever, regarding any communications between department employees and Andrey Kostin, Dmitry Aleksandrovich Zabello, or other employee or representatives of VTB Bank.Furthermore, any documents relating to VTB or mentioning Andrey Kostin, Dmitry Aleksandrovich Zabello, or other employee or representatives of VTB Bank.The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.Sincerely,Elijah KaplanUpload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://www.muckrock.com/

The time period of my request is from 10/30/2020 to 10/30/2020

I am An individual seeking information for personal use and not for commercial use.

I am willing to pay $25 for my request.

I have a compelling need for expeditious handling:
-NA

My additional comments are as follows:

N/A

Contact Information
Ms. Emma Best
411A Highland Ave
MR51440
Somerville, Massachusetts 02144
P: 6172991832
F: N/A
requests@muckrock.com

**THIS EMAIL BOX IS NOT MONITORED, PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.** Ms.Best: This email acknowledges receipt of your October 30, 2020, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. § 552) request received by the U.S. Department of State, Office ofInformation Programs and Services on November 2, 2020, regardingcommunications between department employees and Andrey Kostin, Dmitry Aleksandrovich Zabello, or other employee or representatives of VTB Bank as well as records relating to VTB or mentioning Andrey Kostin, Dmitry Aleksandrovich Zabello, or other employee or representatives of VTB Bank (Date Range for Record Search: From 10/30/2020 To 10/30/2020). Unless you advise otherwise, we will treat as non-responsive any compilations of publicly available news reports and any publicly available documents not created by the U.S. government, such as mass-distribution emails from news media.  This Office assigned your request the subject reference number and placed it in the complex processing track where it will beprocessed as quickly as possible. See 22 CFR § 171.11(h). This Office willnot be able to respond within the 20 days provided by the statute due to“unusual circumstances.” See 5 U.S.C. §552(a)(6)(B)(i)-(iii). In this instance,the unusual circumstances include the need to search for and collect requestedrecords from other Department offices or Foreign Service posts. If you have any questions regarding yourrequest , would like to narrow the scope or arrange analternative time frame to speed its processing, or would like an estimated dateof completion, please contact our FOIA Requester Service Center or our FOIAPublic Liaison by email at FOIAstatus@state.gov or telephone at202-261-8484. Additionally, youmay contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at theNational Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIAmediation services they offer. Thecontact information for OGIS is as follows: Office of Government InformationServices, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS,College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, email at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769. **THIS EMAIL BOX IS NOT MONITORED, PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.**

Ms. Emma Best,

The Office of Information Programs and Services (IPS) is in receipt of your inquiry below regarding case number F-2021-00755. We will follow-up with you as soon as possible to provide a response.

Thank you in advance for your patience.

If you have any questions, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center (FRSC) at (202) 261-8484 or send an e-mail to foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov>
Regards,
Katrina Wood
U.S. Department of State
FOIA Requester Service Center

Ms. Emma Best,

This is in response to your email below regarding FOIA Case Control Number F-2021-00755.

The Office of Information Programs and Services’ electronic records system indicates this request is in process and has a December 29, 2022 estimated date of completion (EDC). EDCs are estimates and are subject to change. Please be advised that the Department takes its FOIA responsibilities seriously and is processing this request as quickly as possible. If the request can be completed prior to the EDC, a response will be sent to you sooner.
If you have further concerns or questions regarding a FOIA-related matter, please send an e-mail to foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov> or contact the FOIA Requester Service Center at 202-261-8484.
Regards,
Katrina M. Wood
U.S. Department of State
FOIA Requester Service Center