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Prague says number of employees of Russian, Czech consulates to remain unchanged

Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek EPA-EFE/MARTIN DIVISEK

Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek

© EPA-EFE/MARTIN DIVISEK

PRAGUE, April 23. /TASS/. The number of employees of Russia’s Consulates in the Czech Republic and the Czech Republic’s Consulates in Russia will not change against the backdrop of the ongoing diplomatic row between the two countries, Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek said an interview with the Blesk newspaper on Friday.

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"So far, this (mutual steps to equalize the number of employees of the embassies in Moscow and Prague - TASS) has not affected these missions. Russia has not yet taken any steps in relation to our Consulates in Russia. In this case, the number of [employees of Russia’s and the Czech Republic’s Consulates] will not change," he noted.

According to the top diplomat, the Czech Republic and Russia will have 32 staff members at their embassies in Moscow and Prague - seven diplomats and 25 administrative and technical staff each.

"[The Czech Republic’s and Russia’s embassies] should have seven diplomats and 25 administrative and technical staff each," he said.

Employees of the Russian Embassy in Prague leaving the Czech Republic after April 22 can return to the country, unlike those 18 diplomats who were declared personae non gratae by the Czech authorities on April 17. The issue at hand is equalizing the number of staff members at the embassies of both countries, Kulhanek said.

"They could theoretically return to the embassy [of the Russian Federation in Prague] in the future, since they were not expelled and have no persona non grata status," he said.

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