The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Russian Federation has taken a demarche against the charge d’affaires of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in connection with the unfriendly actions of these countries.
The corresponding statement was published on the eve of the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“On December 30, the charge d’affaires of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, to whom a strong protest was made in connection with the introduction by the unfriendly authorities of these countries of the regulation of the administrative and economic activities of the Russian embassies in Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn,” the release said.
It was pointed out to the Baltic diplomats that the illegal requirements introduced would significantly complicate the work of Russian foreign institutions and grossly violate article 25 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, according to which Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, as a host State, is obliged to provide “all opportunities” to perform the functions of representation.
“The discriminatory nature of these measures also contradicts paragraph 1 of Article 47 of the Vienna Convention, according to which, when applying the provisions of the Convention, the host state should not pursue a discriminatory policy between states,” the Foreign Ministry stressed.
They also told the heads of the Baltic diplomatic missions that the Russian side reserves the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures.
Earlier, EADaily reported that the Lithuanian authorities decided to mine bridges on the border with Belarus and Russia. Work is also underway to deepen irrigation canals, “which will serve as trenches and additional anti-tank barriers.”