MOSCOW. April 8 (Interfax) - The Russian Mission to NATO has a sarcastic attitude towards the limited access of Russian diplomats to the NATO headquarters.
"It seems the access of Russian diplomats to the headquarters is the most acute problem on the alliance's agenda," the mission tweeted.
NATO said in a press release on Monday as a consequence of the April 1 decision of the alliance foreign ministers "to suspend all practical cooperation with Russia, civilian and military, as a direct consequence of Russia's illegal military intervention in Ukraine and of Russia's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which NATO strongly condemns, … the formerly extensive access to NATO Headquarters will be denied to all representatives of the Russian Mission, except the Russian Ambassador, his Deputy Head of Mission, and two support staff.
"Should any other staff from the Russian Mission require access for official business, standard visitor rules will apply. That means that the staff member will have to be announced, registered and escorted during their visits.
"The decision will be in force as of Tuesday, April 8. The decision will be subject to a condition-based review by NATO Foreign Ministers in June.
"This still gives Russian diplomats a level of access to NATO Headquarters that was never granted by any Russian ministry or institution to NATO staff working in Moscow," the press release said.