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Russian and Czech embassies to have staff parity by late May

The agreement to bring to parity the number of diplomatic staff in Russian and Czech embassies will be turned into reality

PRAGUE, May 25. /TASS/. Staff at Russia’s embassy in Prague and the Czech Republic in Moscow will be brought to parity by the end of May, and the sacked Russian diplomats will leave the Czech capital on May 29 and May 31, a source in the Russian diplomatic mission told TASS on Tuesday.

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Czech prime minister urges de-escalation of tensions in relations with Russia

"Staff at the Russian embassy in Prague, included in the process of bringing to parity the number of diplomatic representation of both sides, will leave the Czech Republic on May 29 and May 31," the source said.

Earlier, Russia and the Czech Republic agreed on bringing to parity the number of their staff in diplomatic missions in both countries’ capitals. Each embassy will have 7 diplomats and 25 administration and technical employees.

Russian-Czech tensions

On April 17, the Czech authorities claimed that Moscow was involved in the 2014 explosions at the Vrbetice depots in the country’s east, which killed two people, and expelled 18 Russian embassy employees, branding them intelligence officers. The Russian Foreign Ministry protested against the move and declared 20 employees of the Czech Embassy in Moscow personae non gratae.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out that over the past seven years, Prague had neither grounds nor any evidence to accuse Russia of its involvement in the Vrbetice incident.

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Military operation in Ukraine

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