OREANDA-NEWS  The functioning of Russian diplomatic missions in Sweden continues to be complicated. This was announced by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova in response to a statement by the head of the Swedish Foreign Ministry Tobias Billstrom.

According to her, the responsibility for this decision is entirely on the Swedish side. The diplomat added that at the initiative of Sweden, "contacts with Russia were terminated, cooperation was destroyed, including at the level of regions and city authorities."

"Provocative actions and demonstrations that threaten the safety of Russian employees, which are carried out with the tacit consent of Swedish law enforcement agencies, have become the norm," the diplomat noted.

Earlier it became known that Russia decided to close its consulate General in Gothenburg, as well as withdraw consent to the activities of the Swedish Consulate General in St. Petersburg from September 1, 2023. In addition, the Russian side decided to expel five Swedish diplomats from the country.

The Swedish Foreign Minister said that Stockholm regrets Russia's report on the activities of the Consulate General and the decision to expel Swedish diplomats from the country. In his opinion, the consulate is "the driving force of bilateral cooperation between Russia and Sweden in the broadest sense."