A massive departure of German civil servants from Russia


Civil servants of the education and culture services will leave Russia, and this, at the request of the Kremlin.





By HR with AFP

Among the sectors deserted by German civil servants in Russia: education.
© VALLAURI Nicolas / MAXPPP / PHOTOPQR/LA PROVENCE/MAXPPP

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I’exodus of German civil servants is about to begin. According to a German government source to AFP, several hundred people working in the education and culture sectors will leave Russia, at the request of the Kremlin. Moscow had already imposed on Germany to sharply reduce its diplomatic staff and public institutions, such as the Goethe Institut cultural center or the German school in Moscow, by the beginning of June, she added.

This source confirmed information revealed by the German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung, which speaks of a “diplomatic declaration of war by Moscow” on Berlin. Following the recent reduction in the presence of the Russian secret services in Germany, under pressure from Berlin, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs set “in April a ceiling for the number of diplomatic personnel and German public organizations” authorized to stay in Russia, the German Foreign Office is told.

A balance to come

“This limit set by Russia from the beginning of June implies big cuts in all areas of the (German) presence in Russia,” the same source added. The ministry did not give a figure on the number of people affected but a government source said that information from the daily Suddeutsche Zeitungwhich speaks of several hundred people, were “correct”.READ ALSO “To avoid other Boutcha, we must return to the negotiating table”

The German authorities have tried in recent weeks to get the Russian ministry to reverse its decision, but without success, according to the newspaper. Consequently, German civil servants, diplomatic and consular staff, but above all people working in culture and education will have to pack their bags in the coming days. Berlin will not stop there and will ensure a “balance” with Russia, following this measure, according to the government source. In April, Moscow had already announced the expulsion of around twenty German diplomats, in retaliation, according to the Russian authorities, for a similar measure taken by Berlin.




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