The Russian spokeswoman said mutual deportations were not Moscow’s choice and assured that despite the reduction in staffing, the Russian embassy in Athens and the consulate general in Thessaloniki would continue to operate normally.
The assessment that over time logic should prevail and the diplomatic activity of Greece and Russia in Moscow and Athens should be normalized was expressed by the representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova, answering a relevant question during the regular weekly news coverage of the Russian and international press.
The Russian spokeswoman said mutual deportations were not Moscow’s choice and assured that despite the reduction in staffing, the Russian embassy in Athens and the consulate general in Thessaloniki would continue to operate normally.
Zakharova’s full comment is as follows:
“The declaration as ‘undesirable’ of eight officials of the Greek Embassy and Consulate General in Moscow is a necessary response measure, due to the unfriendly actions of the Greek side, primarily the unprecedented deportation of twelve Russian diplomats in April and as we understood it, was the desire, the desire to weaken the Russian diplomatic missions, to the maximum extent to complicate their normal operation.
On a fictitious occasion, virtually all Greek diplomats were forced to leave Greece, I mean key executives, exceptional experts, who for years served the cause of the development of Greek-Russian relations. And much more, the current leadership of Greece proceeded to an even greater escalation, they developed a resounding campaign in the media, they published personal data of these people. Of course we are not going to copy this immoral tactic, but retaliatory measures have indeed been taken.
Mutual expulsions are not our choice, I would like to emphasize this, we did not start them, but similar actions do not go unnoticed.
I think that over time logic (this is the third time I repeat this phrase in today’s briefing) should prevail and will allow the work of the diplomatic missions of the two countries to be normalized.
As for the Russian Embassy in Athens and the Consulate General in Thessaloniki, after the forced, unfounded reduction of their staff, they nevertheless fully carry out the mission assigned to them, including the consular services, to issue visas. and the defense of the interests of Russia and its citizens, as defined in their mandates.
Regarding the situation of the Greek diplomatic missions, it is better to address this question to Athens “.
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