Two Russian diplomats working at the country’s embassy in Berlin have been declared persona non grata, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has announced. The move is linked to a high-profile murder case blamed on Moscow.
The German Foreign Ministry has summoned Russia’s ambassador to Berlin and informed him that two of the embassy’s diplomatic staff have been declared personae non gratae, Baerbock told a news conference on Wednesday.
The move was linked to the high-profile murder of Chechen separatist Zelimkhan Khangoshvili dating back to 2019. The case sparked a row between Moscow and Berlin, after the German authorities accused Russia of being behind the killing, which Moscow has denied.
According to Baerbock, the murder amounted to a “grave violation” of Germany’s “law and sovereignty.” She added that Berlin still seeks an “open and honest” dialogue with Moscow – something she also told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a phone call on Tuesday.
“That is in our mutual interest,” Baerbock said.
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https://ift.tt/2hpq7SJ 15, 2021 at 09:13PM
from RT – Daily news