Russia will respond to actions of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia against Russian embassies

(Patria) - The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged a strong protest with the invited Chargés d'Affaires of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia due to the illegal actions of their countries against the economic activities of Russian embassies, according to a statement, TASS reported.

"On December 30, the Chargés d'Affaires of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia were summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where they were handed a strong protest regarding the introduction of regulations on the administrative and economic activities of Russian embassies in Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn by the hostile authorities of these countries," the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

The heads of diplomatic missions were informed that "the Russian side reserves the right to take appropriate countermeasures".

According to the ministry, "Baltic diplomats were informed that the illegal requirements being introduced will significantly hinder the work of Russian foreign missions and grossly violate Article 25 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. According to this article, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, as host countries, are obliged to provide 'all facilities' for the performance of representative functions."

"The discriminatory nature of these measures also contradicts paragraph 1 of Article 47 of the Vienna Convention, according to which, when applying the provisions of the Convention, the host country shall not discriminate in relations between states," the Russian side states in its announcement.