According to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anne-Claire Legendrethis Russian decision to expel 34 French diplomats has “no basis”.
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“This reflects a further step in the isolation of Russia on the international scene“, reacts this Wednesday on franceinfo Anne-Claire Legendre, spokesperson for the Quai d’Orsay. Moscow announced on Wednesday the expulsion of 34 French diplomats, 24 Italians and 27 Spaniards, in retaliation for those of forty diplomats Russians in France and a few dozen others in the rest of the European Union.
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“We strongly condemn this decision which has no basis”, insists Anne-Claire Legendre before explaining: “On April 4 and 11, we ourselves took the decision to expel several dozen Russian agents, admittedly with diplomatic status, but they were working against our security status. This is obviously not the case for our staff at the French Embassy in Russia and at the French Consulate in Saint Petersburg, who fall fully within the framework of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic and Consular Relations.“.
“We expected retaliatory measures”
Anne-Claire Legendre, spokesperson for the Quai d’Orsayat franceinfo
The spokeswoman for the Quai d’Orsay assures us that “we will continue to do our diplomatic work on the ground and continue to support our positions”. It does not specify the number of diplomats still stationed in Russia but indicates that “enough remains for us to be fully mobilized in Russia with our nationals and in the conduct of our diplomatic action”.
Anne-Claire Legendre is not surprised by the Kremlin’s decision to expel French diplomats. “Russia had placed a number of states on a list called ‘unfriendly states’. We see Russia taking measures country by country.” Moscow has already ordered in recent weeks the expulsion of German, Polish and Belgian diplomats.