Netherlands expels Russian diplomats after spy smuggling claim
Netherlands Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra tweeted, "Russia's continued attempts to place intelligence officers into the Netherlands under diplomatic cover are unacceptable. That is why we are limiting the number of Russian diplomats in the Netherlands."
ANI
Feb 19, 2023 00:57 IST
Amsterdam [Netherlands], February 19 (ANI): The Netherlands has decided to expel the Russian diplomats as bilateral talks between the two nations have stalled, and given them two weeks time to leave the country, The Netherlands Times reported.
According to The Netherlands Times, the Dutch cabinet said that the two countries have not been able to come to an agreement about the conditions which would allow them to staff diplomatic postings.
Netherlands Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra tweeted that it is "unacceptable" that Russia had tried to place spies in the Netherlands under diplomatic cover.
"Russia's continued attempts to place intelligence officers into the Netherlands under diplomatic cover are unacceptable. That is why we are limiting the number of Russian diplomats in the Netherlands," he said in a tweet.
"Additionally, we are closing our consulate general in Saint Petersburg and the Russian Trade Office in Amsterdam," said Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra.
The total number of diplomats, who will be expelled, was not immediately clear. Aside from an embassy in The Hague and the trade representation office in Amsterdam, the Russian Federation has an honorary consulate-general in Landgraaf, reported The Netherlands Times.
The Netherlands said Russia's "unacceptable" position towards issuing visas has "led to an unsustainable situation." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The Dutch consulate-general in Saint Petersburg will have to close temporarily due to the lack of staff."
The consulate will close in February Monday. All Dutch citizens and organizations will have to contact the embassy in Moscow for consular services, as per the report in The Netherlands Times.
Hoekstra acknowledged that "relations with Russia are more difficult than ever." Both countries have repeatedly summoned each other's ambassadors in recent weeks as a reaction to court rulings about the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014. (ANI)
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