Poland to close last remaining Russian consulate after railway sabotage
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Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told journalists that Warsaw has decided to "withdraw consent for the operation of the Russian consulate in Gdansk".
PHOTO: EPA
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WARSAW - Poland said on Nov 19 that it will close its last remaining Russian consulate, in Gdansk in northern Poland, after the sabotage of a railway line to Ukraine that Warsaw has blamed on Moscow.
“I have decided to withdraw consent for the operation of the Russian consulate in Gdansk,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told journalists on Nov 19.
The move means the only Russian diplomatic mission that will remain open in Poland will be the embassy in Warsaw.
The Kremlin said on Nov 19 that it regretted Warsaw’s decision to close Russia’s last operating consulate in Poland, a move it said showed a lack of common sense.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Relations with Poland have completely deteriorated. This is probably a manifestation of this deterioration – the Polish authorities’ desire to reduce any possibility of consular or diplomatic relations to zero.
“One can only express regret here... This has nothing to do with common sense.” AFP, REUTERS
