MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. The work of Russian diplomatic missions in Sweden continues to be complicated, with ongoing provocations being committed under the passive eye of Sweden’s law enforcement agencies, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.
"The operation of our diplomatic missions in Sweden continues to be complicated. Provocative rallies and demonstrations threatening the security of Russian employees under the passive eye of Swedish law enforcement agencies have become the norm. Offenses are regularly committed against the general consulate, its employees and visitors. None of this has been resolved by the Swedish police," she said.
The Russian foreign ministry said on Thursday that in response to Sweden’s confrontational actions, Russia is revoking the Swedish consulate general’s right to operate in St. Petersburg and is closing its consulate general in Gothenburg starting September 1.
According to the Russian foreign ministry, the responsibility for this move rests squarely on the Swedish side, which interrupted contacts with Russia, destroyed cooperation, including between regions and cities even in such spheres as science, education, culture, sports and economic cooperation.
"For decades, the Russian consulate general in Gothenburg has been laboriously working on strengthening bilateral relations at the regional level, promoting the development of cultural, scientific, humanitarian, and economic ties," the ministry stressed, adding that the consulate organized numerous educational events for Swedish nationals and was a magnet for Russian compatriots living in southwestern Sweden.
"Amid the unrestrained Russophobia and witch-hunting, demonization of Russia and bans on Russian media, it was one of the few sources of objective information about what is going on in Russia. In response, the Swedish authorities literally boycotted its work, having closed its bank accounts thus threatening its activities," it added.