Germany closes 4 out of 5 Russian consulates
Germany will sharply reduce Moscow’s diplomatic presence on its territory after Russia reduced the number of people Berlin can employ in its embassies and institutions in Russia.
This was stated by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Censor.NET reports with reference to Radio Liberty.
"We have decided to withdraw consent to the work of four out of five Russian consulates operating in Germany," the spokesman said.
According to him, the Russian side was informed about this today.
Germany's foreign ministry said over the weekend that hundreds of civil servants and local officials working for German institutions in Russia have been asked to leave the country.
Moscow has set a limit on the number of German personnel in Russia at 350 people. As the spokesman of the German Foreign Ministry explained, in order to fulfill these demands of Russia, the government decided to close the German consulates in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk. The German embassy in Moscow and its consulate in St. Petersburg will not be affected.
"As far as the Russian presence in Germany is concerned, our decisions are mutually applicable ... in order to ensure a balance of mutual presence both in terms of personnel and in terms of structure," the spokesman said.
According to the German Foreign Ministry, starting in June, Russia will reduce the number of people that Berlin can employ in its embassies or institutions in Russia in the fields of education and culture.
This applies to embassy and consulate employees, but mainly employees of the Goethe Institute of Culture in the country, German schools, and kindergartens, the ministry said.
