Ukrainian Ambassador Announces Kiev's Bid To Acquire Russian Embassy's Land In Canberra

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2022) Ukraine is hoping to acquire the land in the Australian capital city of Canberra following the decision by the authorities to terminate the Russian embassy's lease on the territory, Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand Vasyl Myroshnychenko said on Friday.

On August 17, the authorities of Canberra have notified Russia that they are terminating the lease of the land bought by Moscow for the construction of a new building for the Russian embassy, noting that Moscow has 20 days to leave the territory.

"The Ukrainian government is renting an office space in a building for the embassy, and I don't have a residence, we've just rented a small townhouse... That would be very nice, if we could get that plot of land," the diplomat was quoted by the Guardian as saying.

Russia purchased the rights to the site in 2008 with the goal of building a new embassy to replace the existing one in the suburb of Griffith. In 2011 all works and building approvals were granted to Russia, and it promised to finish the construction in three years, but did not complete the project to this day. According to the authorities, the land lease termination will not affect the existing Russian Embassy, and the country can submit a new application.