MOSCOW, January 10. /TASS/. The preparations for the upcoming presidential election abroad have already run into considerable obstacles, Gennady Askaldovich, Special Representative of the Foreign Minister for cooperation in ensuring freedom of religion and Ambassador-at-Large, said.

"Preparations for the upcoming election abroad have already faced substantial obstacles. A total of 26 Russian diplomatic missions have been closed in unfriendly countries at the request of their authorities," he said. "In numerous embassies, the staff has been downsized to a minimum due to mass expulsions of our diplomats."

Askaldovich pointed out that "as a result, the Foreign Ministry’s ability to ensure that all Russians abroad have the right to freely and safely elect a head of state is being reduced."

The diplomat emphasized that Russia would go to great lengths to ensure a free vote abroad by Russian citizens.

Double standards

The diplomat emphasized that the stance of, first and foremost, Western countries, "is an obvious manifestation of double standards."

"In their pursuit to inflict a ‘defeat’ on our country, they are losing their ‘democratic’ reputation, completely forgetting about all the values and principles they are so proud to voice from their soapbox," he continued.

"We would like to recall that the principle of the free will of people is one of the basic principles of democracy but Western countries are now doing everything they can to strip Russians of exercising their right abroad," the Russian diplomat stressed.

No mandatory location

The diplomat recalled that the law does not compel those living abroad to cast their ballots in the host country.

"You may come to Russia or any other country where the situation is not so strained," Askaldovich said.

The diplomat indicated that the need to get an absentee ballot had recently been abolished by law. A Russian citizen can present their passport in order to vote in a foreign country. In Russia, a citizen who has arrived from abroad may be added to the voter list at a polling station, which is designated for unregistered voters by election commissions of Russia’s constituent entities.

The Federation Council has scheduled the presidential election for March 17, 2024. Voting will take place over three days - on March 15, 16 and 17.