MOSCOW. May 31 (Interfax) - Berlin's ill-considered provocative actions will not be left without a due reaction from Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said over the German authorities' decision to close four Russian consulates general in Germany.
"We regard the German Foreign Office's demand to close by December 31, 2023 the Russian consulates general in Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Frankfurt am Main amid Germany's decision to reduce its consular presence in Russia as another unfriendly step aimed at further destruction of Russian-German relations, which have a history of decades-long multifaceted, eventful and mutually profitable cooperation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its website on Wednesday.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the German side has recently initiated, under clearly far-fetched pretexts, massive expulsions of Russian diplomats, has introduced quotas on some categories of employees of missions, and has delayed the issuance of visas. "While at the same time forgetting about the double disparity in its favor in the number of personnel of missions abroad. Our retaliatory actions were taken solely in response and based on the principle of reciprocity," the statement said.
"The Russian side categorically rejects any attempts by Berlin to deflect responsibility for the escalation it continually fuels. We again call on the German authorities to stop. Obviously, Berlin is losing all orientation in the frenzy of hostile policies. Germany should understand that responsibility for deterioration of bilateral relations rests fully with the German side," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"There should be no doubt in Berlin that these ill-considered provocative actions will not be left without a due reaction from us," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.