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Russian deputy FM explains why Polish Senate speaker was barred from entering Russia

Polish Senate speaker Bogdan Borusewicz was going to attend the public ceremony of paying last respects to slain Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov
Polish Senate speaker Bogdan Borusewicz EPA/FILIP SINGER
Polish Senate speaker Bogdan Borusewicz
© EPA/FILIP SINGER

MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. People on Russian sanctions lists know that Moscow does not expect them, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexey Meshkov said.

In this way, he explained Russia’s decision to ban Polish Senate speaker Bogdan Borusewicz from entering Moscow to attend Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov’s funeral.

Boris Nemtsov was shot overnight to Saturday in Moscow. The public ceremony of paying the last respects and the funeral take place in Moscow on Tuesday.

"Those who are on response lists know about that. Naturally, when people are on such lists, they can’t come to the Russian Federation. Each who is on such lists realizes they are not expected in Russia," Meshkov said.

Russia’s diplomatic mission in Warsaw told TASS that "Marshal of the Polish Senate Mr. [Bogdan] Borusewicz can’t head to Moscow, but it has nothing to do with the funeral of Boris Nemtsov."

"As part of response measures adopted by the Russian side regarding a number of states, including Poland, which imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation, Bogdan Borusewicz has been included on the list of persons banned from entering Russia," embassy spokeswoman Valeriya Perzhinskaya said.