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Russia orders Swedish consulate in St. Petersburg to be shuttered, effective September 1

The Russian Foreign Ministry also announced that it would shutter its own Consulate General in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city

MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. In response to Stockholm’s hostility, Russia has revoked its authorization for all diplomatic activity by the Swedish Consulate General in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, effective September 1, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

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Russia expels five Swedish diplomats in retaliatory move — MFA

The Russian Foreign Ministry also announced that it would shutter its own Consulate General in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city.

"Swedish Ambassador to Russia Malena Mard was summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry on May 25 and she was told that, given Sweden’s confrontational policy toward Russia, the decision was made by the Russian Federation to shut down the operations of the Russian Consulate General in Gothenburg, effective September 1, 2023," the statement reads.

"The head of the [Swedish] diplomatic mission was also informed that official authorization for the work of the Swedish Consulate General in St. Petersburg will be revoked, effective September 1, 2023," the ministry’s statement added.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom announced on April 25 that Stockholm had decided to expel five Russian diplomats.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned Swedish diplomats in late April that Moscow viewed Sweden’s decision to expel Russian diplomats as part of Stockholm’s increasingly anti-Russian course and that reciprocal measures may follow.

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