News item | 18-02-2023 | 16:14
Negotiations with Russia on the conditions under which diplomats are sent back and forth to diplomatic posts have so far failed. Russia is trying again and again covertly to place intelligence officers in the Netherlands as diplomats. At the same time, Russia refuses to issue visas for Dutch diplomats to staff the consulate-general in Saint Petersburg and the embassy in Moscow. This is unacceptable and has led to an unsustainable situation.
The cabinet has therefore decided that the Russian embassy in The Hague may no longer have more bilateral diplomats than the Dutch embassy in Moscow. A number of Russian diplomats will therefore have to leave the Netherlands. The Dutch consulate-general in Saint Petersburg will have to close temporarily due to the lack of staff. The cabinet has also decided that the Russian trade office in Amsterdam must close. This was announced by Minister Wopke Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs to the House of Representatives on Saturday.
Consulate General Saint Petersburg
“Despite numerous attempts by the Netherlands to find a solution, Russia continues to try to get intelligence officers in the Netherlands under diplomatic cover,” explains Minister Hoekstra. “We cannot and will not allow that. At the same time, it is important to keep the embassies open as a communication channel, even now that relations with Russia are more difficult than ever.’
The Russian diplomats who cannot stay must leave the Netherlands within two weeks. The Russian trade office in Amsterdam must be closed from February 21.
The Dutch Consulate General in Saint Petersburg will close on February 20. This means that, among other things, aid to Dutch citizens and organizations will no longer be offered from St. Petersburg. The Dutch embassy in Moscow will remain open.
History
Negotiations on visas for diplomats have been going on for almost a year. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the Netherlands expelled 17 Russian intelligence officers in March 2022. In response, Russia expelled 15 Dutch diplomats. From that moment on, negotiations have been held to station new diplomats on both sides.