Must leave country

Austrian diplomat unwanted in Russia

One employee of the Austrian embassy has to leave Moscow.(Bild: AFP)

The Russian Foreign Ministry has declared an employee of the Austrian embassy in Moscow an "undesirable person". The person in question must leave the country by April 18, it was announced on Thursday.

The move is an expected reaction to the decision taken by the Foreign Office in Vienna in March to expel two Russian diplomats from the country in connection with allegations of espionage.

The Austrian ambassador in Moscow, Werner Almhofer, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday. He was informed by the ministry in Moscow that he had received a "resolute protest" for an "unfounded declaration" by two employees of the Russian embassy that they were personae non gratae (undesirable persons).

Moscow deplores "unfriendly gesture"
"This unfriendly gesture further complicates bilateral relations, which are in crisis on the initiative of the Austrian side, and damages the authority of Austria, which has positioned itself as a neutral state and a place for international diplomacy," it said.

The ministry also announced that its countermeasures to the recent case would not be limited to the expulsion of the diplomat. What this could mean was initially unclear. Administrative harassment of the embassy in Moscow was possible.

The expulsion did not come as a surprise, explained a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman in Vienna on Thursday. "We regret this unjustified decision by Russia, which has no factual basis whatsoever. The employee concerned is exercising his functions exclusively within the framework of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," she commented.

Embassy in Moscow remains operational
However, the functioning of Austria's embassy in Moscow remains guaranteed, particularly in the interests of Austrian citizens in Russia and to maintain channels of communication, emphasized the ministry spokesperson in Vienna.

According to Austrian information, a total of 15 people with diplomatic status are currently working in Moscow, including the diplomat concerned. Russia's presence in Austria is significantly larger: on Thursday, the Austrian Foreign Ministry's website listed 151 Russian diplomats.