Russia lodges protests with Moldovan ambassador over embassy incidents

Russia's Foreign Ministry has lodged a strong protest with Moldova's ambassador to Moscow, Lilian Darii, over what it described as incidents involving staff and vehicles of the Russian embassy in Moldova.

The ministry said Darii was summoned on July 21 and informed of Russia's protest over what Moscow called serious violations by the Moldovan side of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations during two separate incidents involving Russian diplomatic personnel and embassy vehicles, Caliber.Az reports.

It noted that Moscow reserved the right to take reciprocal measures.

Moldovan police reportedly stopped a Russian embassy bus in Chisinau on July 19, under the pretext of checking documents and removed its diplomatic licence plates without explaining.

The ministry alleged that officers used force against embassy staff and threatened them with detention, while a request to Moldova's Foreign Ministry to send a representative to the scene was ignored.

A second incident occurred overnight between July 20 and 21 at the Leușeni border crossing as Russian embassy employees were leaving Moldova to transport official cargo to Russia.

The ministry further stated that Ambassador Darii was told Moldova had violated key provisions of the Vienna Convention, which require the host state to facilitate the functioning of diplomatic missions, ensure freedom of movement for diplomatic personnel and protect official communications.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov