The reason is Moscow’s decision to strictly limit the maximum number of employees of German diplomatic missions and cultural organizations in the country.
Hundreds of German officials, including diplomats and German teachers, will leave Russia from June 1, the German Foreign Ministry confirmed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung today.
The reason is Moscow’s decision to severely limit the maximum number of employees of German embassies and cultural organizations in Russia in retaliation for the expulsion of Russian diplomats accused of espionage.
“The limit established by Moscow since the beginning of June requires a major cut in all areas of our presence in Russia,” the German Foreign Ministry confirmed to the newspaper.
The ministry’s aim is to “guarantee a minimum presence” of workers in the cultural sector while “maintaining a diplomatic presence”.
According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, diplomats will be affected, but so will teachers at German academic institutions in Moscow and staff at the Goethe Institute for Languages and Culture.
In addition to the German embassy in Moscow, there are German embassies in the Russian cities of Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg.
In April, 30 employees of Russian diplomatic missions were forced to leave Germany after being accused by the German secret services of espionage.
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