Romania Asks Russia to Reduce Diplomatic Personnel in the Country

Romania asked the Russian Embassy to reduce its diplomatic personnel stationed in Romania by 40 people. The request came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia must reduce the number of officials in Romania by 11 diplomats and 29 employees from the technical-administrative sector.

The choice of the positions that will be reduced and the people who will have to leave Romania will belong (in this phase) to the Russian Federation, respecting the limitations related to each category (diplomats, respectively, technical-administrative personnel). Thus, the total number of diplomatic and technical-administrative positions of the Russian Federation in Romania is reduced by 61%, and the adequate number of personnel by 55.5%

Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The decision comes in an agitated moment in the region, while, reportedly, the Ukrainian Army started its counter-offensive.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Romania, the level of the representativity of Russian diplomats in Romania will be close to that of the Romanian diplomats in Russia.

The Russian side was also informed that it has at most 30 days to implement the decision of the Romanian side. If this deadline is not respected, the Romanian MFA will take measures to implement the decision by withdrawing the accreditation of some members of the diplomatic and technical-administrative staff of the Russian Federation in Romania to ensure compliance with the ceiling decided for the limitation of Russian staff in Our Country.

Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Valery Kuzmin, the Russian Ambassador to Romania, was told he had 30 days to comply with the request. On Tuesday, June 6, he commented that Romania didn’t have the guts in its relationship with Moscow compared to other states that took tougher diplomatic measures.