Russia and Germany Close Consulates in Retaliation Move

31.05.2023

In response to Russia’s announcement last week that the number of Germans in Russia would be capped at 350, a move that had forced the closure of some German schools and other institutions, the German Foreign Office announced that it would only be able to stay for one more year, except for the Russian embassy in Germany. Consulate General.

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) The German foreign ministry announced on Wednesday (May 31) that as a retaliation measure against Moscow, Berlin will revoke the licenses of four of the five Russian consulates. The move came after the Russian government capped at 350 the number of German government officials allowed to stay in Russia, including those working in cultural institutions and schools.

A spokesman for the German foreign ministry told reporters the measure was aimed at establishing a “personnel and structural parity” between the two countries.

The spokesman said Russia had “taken escalating measures” in restricting Germany’s presence in the country. “This irrational decision forced the German government to massively reduce its presence in all areas of Russia,” he said.

After the end of this year, only the Russian embassy in Berlin and one other consulate will be allowed to open.

“This decision was communicated to the Russian Foreign Ministry today.” While the move was regrettable, the Ukraine war meant that many bilateral activities between the two countries “have no basis at all,” the spokesman said.

Last Saturday (May 27), the German Foreign Ministry stated that hundreds of civil servants and local employees of German agencies in Russia will need to return home or resign.

The number of people affected by this restriction runs into the hundreds. While the order targets consulate and embassy officials, the majority of those affected are employees of the Goethe Cultural Institute as well as German schools and nurseries.

The restrictive decree in Moscow means that the German consulates in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk will close, leaving only the German embassy in Moscow and the consulate in St. Petersburg.

The incident reflects a further deterioration in relations between Moscow and Berlin since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

(Reuters, Associated Press)

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