Czechs To Cut Russian Diplomat Numbers Amid Spat

Prague, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2021 ) :The Czech government said Thursday it would slap a ceiling on the Russian embassy workforce as part of a spiralling diplomatic row, which means dozens of staff will have to leave by next month.

Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek said Russia will have until the end of May to withdraw its embassy's employees to reduce their numbers to the same level as those of the Czech embassy in Moscow.

The Russian foreign ministry threatened retaliation.

Prague currently has a total of 24 embassy staff in Russia, which in turn has 94 staff in Prague.

Dozens of diplomats were expelled earlier this week on both sides over allegations from the Czech government that Russian spies orchestrated a fatal explosion on Czech soil in 2014.

"In line with article 11 of the Vienna Convention (on Diplomatic Relations), we will limit the number of Russian embassy staff in Prague to the actual number at our embassy in Moscow," Kulhanek told reporters.

Prague expelled 18 diplomats over the spying suspicions, while Moscow kicked out 20 in retaliation.

Kulhanek gave Moscow an ultimatum Wednesday to allow the 20 Czechs to return to work by Thursday noon (1000 GMT), but Russia ignored the call.

"Russia's reaction was absolutely disproportionate, the diplomats didn't do anything wrong," Kulhanek said.

The 1961 Vienna Convention says that if there is no agreement on the size of embassies between two countries, the receiving state may keep the foreign mission "within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal".