Sweden Expels 5 Russian Embassy Officials
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, the decision to expel the five officials was taken due to their activities not being compatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
While the Swedish authorities did not reveal any further information on the officials and their activities, they said that the ambassador of Russia to Sweden, Victor Tatarintsev, has already been informed of the decision and, at the same time, stressed that the officials have been asked to leave the country as soon as possible.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has today summoned Russia’s ambassador Victor Tatarintsev and announced that five officials at the Russian Embassy in Sweden are being asked to leave the country due to activities that are not compatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the statement of the Ministry reads.
Sweden is not the only EU/Schengen Area country that has decided to take such measures against Russian embassy officials. Just recently, Norway declared unwanted a total of 15 intelligence officers at the Russian embassy in Oslo.
The Norwegian authorities said that they decided to ask the 15 intelligence officers to leave the country as their activities were incompatible with their diplomatic status.
Furthermore, through an official press release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway explained that the decision to declare unwanted Russian intelligence officers was based on a new security policy situation, which according to it, has led to an increased intelligence threat from Russia.
Before deciding the ask the 15 Russian nationals to leave the country, the Norwegian authorities said that they had been monitoring their activities for some time now. They also stressed that this is an important measure to reduce as well as countries the scope of Russian intelligence activities in Norway.
Apart from the above-mentioned, the Norwegian authorities also reaffirmed once again that the embassy of the country in Moscow will not issue visas to intelligence officers who apply for a visa to Norway.
Similarly, earlier in March of this year, Estonia also decided to expel and declare persona non-grata a Russian embassy employee. Back then, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the decision resulted from the actions of the individual that violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The Ministry further explained that the diplomat is directly as well as actively involved in the violation of the constitutional order and security of Estonia and the spread of propaganda, among others.