Sweden Ready To Help Czech Embassy In Moscow Amid Diplomatic Staff Cuts - Foreign Ministry

BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2021) Sweden expressed strong support to the Czech Republic at a recent meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, and also offered support to the Czech Embassy in Moscow in connection with the reduction of staff in light of the diplomatic conflict with Russia, Swedish Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Andrea Roempke told Sputnik on Wednesday.

On Monday, EU foreign ministers gathered for a meeting in Brussels and discussed Russia and its diplomatic row with the Czech Republic, among other issues. The Czech Republic has previously asked EU nations to expel one Russian diplomat each in solitary with its decision to order 18 Russians out of the country over Moscow's alleged role in the 2014 ammo depot blasts in Vrbetice.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after the meeting that the EU's solidarity with the Czech Republic does not mean it is ready to escalate tensions with Russia by expelling more diplomats. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, on her part, said that the expulsion of diplomats "was a last resort", while solidarity can be demonstrated in other ways, in particular, by offering "concrete assistance on the spot."

"Sweden expressed its full support for the Czech Republic at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday. Russia's actions are unacceptable, and we are pleased that the EU has expressed full solidarity with the Czech Republic and strongly condemned Russia's actions. Sweden has offered support to the Czech embassy in Moscow in light of the fact that its staff has been cut," Roempke said.

On April 17, the Czech Republic announced the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats on suspicion of being officers of Russia's special services. Prague explained that the move was prompted by "a reasonable suspicion" that Russian military intelligence officers had something to do with the October 2014 explosion at an ammunition depot in Vrbetice.

Moscow has responded to Prague by expelling 20 Czech diplomats and slammed the Czech Republic's claims of Russia's involvement in blasts in Vrbetice as groundless. The Russian Foreign Ministry has pointed out that the Czech government earlier blamed the blasts that killed two Czech nationals on companies that owned the warehouses.