The German government demanded that Russia stop the work of four consulates in the country until the end of this year. The representative of the German Foreign Ministry, Christopher Burger, spoke at a briefing in Berlin.
The representative of Germany recalled that in April Moscow decided to reduce the number of employees of Germanic institutions in Russia to 350 people.
Burger noted that “the Russian government took a step towards tension,” in connection with which this unreasonable decision forced the German government to take significant reductions in all areas in Russia.
“The Government of Germany seeks to maintain the minimum diplomatic presence in Russia. By the end of November, three Generals of the German consulate in Russia will be closed,” said the representative of the Foreign Ministry.
At the same time, Burger emphasized that only the German Embassy in Moscow and the Consulate General in St. Petersburg will still work. “And in this regard, we decided to withdraw the consent to the activities of four out of five (Russian) consulates acting in Germany. The Russian Foreign Ministry was informed about this today. Russia should immediately initiate the process in this direction and complete it no later than December 31, 2023 “, – said Burger.