The authorities of Austria have decided this Friday to declare 'persona non grata' four diplomats from the Russian Federation, whom they accuse of engaging in activities inappropriate to their official functions, which will force them to leave the country in the coming days.
"Following the conclusions of the Austrian security authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria has taken measures against four Russian diplomats in Vienna," the ministry itself indicated in a statement sent to Europa Press, clarifying that the measure is in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and involves the order to "leave Austrian territory."
Among those named are three representatives of the Russian Embassy in Austria, who are attributed with "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status," as well as a member of the Russian delegation to the OSCE for Military Security and Arms Control, also sanctioned for the same reason.
Before the official announcement from Vienna was made public, the Russian Embassy in Austria had already reported that the authorities of the country had declared 'persona non grata' to three of its diplomats stationed in the capital, warning that this decision, which they consider aggressive, would receive a proportional and unavoidable response.
"The Austrian authorities have taken another hostile step towards the Russian Federation. Three diplomatic officials from the Embassy and a member of the Russian Delegation in the negotiations in Vienna on military security and arms control have been declared 'persona non grata'," the diplomatic mission indicated in a brief statement disseminated via Telegram.
In the same document, the representation of Moscow in Vienna accused Austria of following "blindly" the collective "anti-Russian" stance of the West and has guaranteed that "these actions will inevitably have an appropriate response," without providing further details for now on the type of reprisals that the Kremlin might adopt.