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Norwegian ambassador summoned to Russian foreign ministry

The ministry slammed the actions by the Sor-Varanger municipality’s mayor, who personally removed the Russian consulate general’s wreaths, as an act of vandalism and an example of Russophobia and disrespect to the memory of fallen soldiers

MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. Norwegian Ambassador to Russia Robert Kvile has been summoned to the Russian foreign ministry over attempts by his country’s authorities to disrupt events honoring memory of Soviet soldiers.

"On October 27, the Russian foreign minister summoned Norwegian Ambassador to Russia Robert Kvile over the scandalous actions by the Norwegian authorities who on October 25 tried to disrupt traditional events in Kirkenes in honor of Soviet soldiers who died while liberating northern Norway from the Nazis. It was told to the ambassador that it is inadmissible to infringe upon the right of Russian representatives at commemorative ceremonies," the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday.

The ministry slammed the actions by the Sor-Varanger municipality’s mayor, who personally removed the Russian consulate general’s wreaths, as an act of vandalism and an example of Russophobia and disrespect to the memory of fallen soldiers.

"It was stressed that Russia considers what is going on in Norway around this date, along with the Sor-Varanger mayor’s previous statement that he plans to invite the Ukrainian president to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of northern Norway next year <…> as deliberate efforts to falsify history and negate the role of the former Soviet Union in the victory over Nazism," the ministry said.

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