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France 'strongly condemns' Russia's expulsion of its diplomats

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
France 'strongly condemns' Russia's expulsion of its diplomats
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) in Moscow on February 7, 2022, for talks in an effort to find common ground on Ukraine and NATO, at the start of a week of intense diplomacy over fears Russia is preparing an invasion of its pro-Western neighbour. (Photo by SPUTNIK / AFP)

France "strongly condemns" the expulsion of 34 of its diplomats by Russia, the foreign ministry said Wednesday, a tit-for-tat move by Moscow after Paris ordered some Russian staff to leave.

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Saying the step had "no legitimate basis", the ministry said in a statementthat "the work of the diplomats and staff at (France's) embassy in Russia... takes place fully within the framework of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic and consular relations" -- whereas Paris expelled the Russian staff in April on suspicion of being spies.

Moscow said Wednesday it was expelling 34 "employees of French diplomatic missions" in a tit-for-tat move following the
expulsion of Russian diplomats from France as part of joint European action over Russia's campaign in Ukraine.

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"Thirty four employees of French diplomatic missions in Russia have been declared persona non grata," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that they have two weeks to leave the country.

Moscow made the announcement after summoning France's ambassador to Russia, Pierre Levy, and telling him that the expulsion of 41 employees of Russian diplomatic missions was a "provocative and unfounded decision", the statement
said.

"It has been stressed that this step causes serious damage to Russian-French relations and constructive bilateral cooperation," the foreign ministry said.

French President Emmanuel Macron initially led diplomatic outreach to the Kremlin over Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine but his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin have eventually tapered off and overt French military
support to Ukraine has increased in recent months.

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