The Russian Federation suspends the activities of the NATO military liaison mission. Russia stops the activities of the NATO information Bureau in the country
Moscow. October 18. INTERFAX - Russia is suspending the work of its permanent mission to NATO, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.
"In response to NATO's actions, we are suspending the work of our permanent mission to NATO, including the work of the chief military representative. Probably from November 1, or it will take a few more days," Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow.
"Secondly, we are suspending the activities of the NATO military liaison mission in Moscow, the accreditation of its employees is revoked from November 1 of this year. And thirdly, the activities of the NATO Information Office in Moscow, which was established at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, are being terminated," the minister announced.
He stressed: "If NATO has any urgent matters, they can contact our ambassador in Belgium on these issues. To the ambassador who ensures bilateral relations."
Lavrov noted that "the international secretariat of NATO has already been notified" of Russia's retaliatory measures.
According to the Minister, on October 6, the NATO secretariat officially notified that the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Mr. Stoltenberg, decided to revoke the accreditation of eight employees of the Russian permanent mission to NATO from November 1 of this year, citing the decision that they were undeclared employees of Russian intelligence. And also decided to reduce from the same number the total number of this representation at NATO to ten people, including administrative and technical staff. Thus, the Russian mission has been reduced by almost half.
