MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd March, 2019) Greece's decision to detain Russian energy expert Evgeny Kalinin at Ukraine's request is undermining centuries-old relations between Moscow and Athens, Frants Klintsevich, a member of the Russian upper house's defense and security committee, said.
On Saturday, attorney Yannis Rahiotis told Sputnik that Kalinin had been arrested in Greece at Ukraine's request. According to Rahiotis, Ukraine accuses Kalinin of breaching tax legislation during his work in the country. At the same time, Rahiotis said he was sure that it was a politically-motivated case, as Kalinin was on the list of Ukraine's Mirotvorets website, which is known for publishing private information of people who allegedly pose a threat to Ukraine's sovereignty, for his support of former President Viktor Yanukovych.
"Greece is really shooting itself in the foot. First of all, while reacting to the requests of the Ukrainian authorities � which emerged as a result of the coup, � it commits the acts that are inherently wrong from the legal viewpoint. Secondly, this is really undermining centuries-old, we can say, core relations between Russia and Greece," he wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
The lawmaker stressed the long history of relations between Moscow and Athens, as well as the role that the former played in helping Greece to obtain independence, and expressed regret that the transient "political conjuncture prevails over political memory."
Klintsevich added that "it's not too late to stop."
