The European Union on Friday criticized the Russian government’s decision to include Greece, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia in the list of countries classified as “hostile”, saying the allegations were “unfounded and unacceptable”.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, stressed in a statement this decision another step by Russia towards the continued escalation of tension with the European Union and its member states.
The Russian government announced on Friday that these five countries have been included in the list of countries classified as “enemy”, thus restricting these European countries to the local employment of diplomatic or consular missions..
He said the European body considers “the allegations of hostilities to be baseless and unacceptable, and urges Russia to cancel all of these lists.”
The head of European diplomacy noted that the previous decree establishing a list of the so-called “enemy” states is inconsistent with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Therefore, he adds, the EU urges Russia to “review its decision and fully respect the Vienna Convention”.
“The European Union continues to call on Russia to immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and all other violations of international law, including its breach of its international obligations and obligations,” Josep Borrell concluded in the statement.
The Russian government’s ruling limits the number of people who can be employed in Russia through diplomatic representatives affected by this measure.
The Embassy of Greece can employ up to 34 people, the representation of Denmark is up to 20 and Slovakia is limited to 16 people who are locally recruited. Slovenia and Croatia are prohibited from hiring personnel in Russia for diplomatic and consular missions.
Moscow indicated that last May, the same restrictions were imposed on the embassies of the United States and the Czech Republic.
The adoption of these types of restrictions, which include a complete ban on local employment of people located in Russia, was contemplated in a decree on measures to respond to “enemy states” signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 23.
On March 5, nine days after the start of Russia’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine, Putin ordered the government to draw up a list of countries that had committed “hostile acts” against Russia.
A few days later, Russia approved this list, which included EU member states, including Portugal, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, among others.
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