Moscow Refutes Rumors About Building 'Secret Spy Base' In Dublin Embassy

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2021) Rumors about the construction of a "secret spy base" in the Russian embassy in Dublin are unsubstantiated as ongoing reconstruction works have been planned for years and are conducted openly and with the approval of the Irish government, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik.

Earlier in February, the Irish and UK news outlets published information that Russia was building a "secret spy base" in the Dublin embassy for its European network of operatives.

"The reconstruction of the buildings on the territory of the Russian embassy in Ireland has been an ongoing issue, dictated by the necessity to improve working conditions of our diplomats. The small mansion where the embassy is currently located was built over a hundred years ago as a residential house. It can no longer sustain the normal functioning of our diplomatic mission," the Ministry said in a statement to Sputnik.

Plans for major works at the embassy buildings had been negotiated with the Irish government over several years.

It was never a secret, and since the start of the works, Irish Foreign Ministry officials and local media have had full access to the site, the Ministry added.

The Ministry noted that this is not the first time the Irish media have published "completely unsubstantiated insinuations" about the Russian embassy in Dublin, and the recent article published by the local edition of the UK newspaper The Times "clearly shows who is behind all this."

"We regret to note that there are still powerful forces active in Ireland, who in their desire to prove themselves before their curators are willing to sacrifice the national interests of their own country by pushing false narratives about 'Russian threat' to the Irish security," the ministry stated.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has also expressed its willingness to continue bilateral cooperation with Ireland without intrusions from third parties.