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The Hague officially notifies Moscow of top diplomat’s visit cancellation

Earlier in the day, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Halbe Zijlstra, who was scheduled to pay a visit to Russia on February 14, has resigned

MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. The Hague has officially notified Moscow about cancellation of Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra’s visit due to his resignation, the Russian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

"The Dutch side has officially notified about cancellation of foreign minister’s visit to Russia," the Russian foreign ministry said.

Earlier in the day, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Halbe Zijlstra, who was scheduled to pay a visit to Russia on February 14, tendered his resignation over the scandal around his lies about a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin back in 2006.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made it quite clear that any comments on that matter were unnecessary. "According to media reports, the Dutch foreign minister tendered his resignation on Tuesday," she wrote on her Facebook account. "Addressing the lawmakers at the Dutch parliament’s House of Representatives, he said it had been the biggest mistake in his entire political career to tell lies about his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (in 2006). Any comments? I’d better read yours.".