Iceland is the first European country to “freeze” its diplomatic mission in Russia
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Iceland announced the suspension of its embassy in Moscow from August 1, explaining that it was due to a drop in political, economic and cultural ties with Russia to an unprecedentedly low level.
The plans were announced back in June. Iceland became the first European country to “freeze” its diplomatic mission in Russia after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
At the same time, in Reykjavík they emphasize the intention to expand the diplomatic presence in Ukraine – as a sign of solidarity with Kyiv during the period of Russian aggression. In this connection, Reykjavík signed an agreement with Vilnius on the use of the premises of the Lithuanian embassy in Kyiv by Icelandic diplomats.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland emphasizes that the suspension of the country’s embassy in Moscow should not be considered as a break in diplomatic relations. “As conditions permit, Iceland will aim to resume operations,” the ministry noted.
In June, responding to the decision of the authorities of Iceland to “freeze” the diplomatic mission in Russia, Moscow said that this step would inevitably cause a response, reminds France-Presse. “We will take this unfriendly decision into account when regulating our relations with Iceland in the future,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Embassy of Iceland in Moscow – in addition to Russia – represented Reykjavík in relations with Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Now the representation will be carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland. In total, this country has 18 embassies in foreign capitals.
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