The Czech government decided at a meeting on Tuesday, September 30, to ban entry to Russian diplomats and holders of service passports who do not have national accreditation from Prague.
This move was announced by Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. He said that he was the initiator of this decision.
“Today, the government banned entry to the Czech Republic to Russian diplomats and holders of service passports who do not have national accreditation from the Czech Republic. This measure is applied at international airports,” he wrote.
The Czech Foreign Minister stressed that the number of sabotage operations is increasing, and “we will not take risks due to agents under diplomatic cover.”
“We are setting an example for other countries, and I will continue to seek the strictest measures at the level of the entire Schengen area. We will protect the Czech Republic,” he added.
The media previously reported that the EU is preparing restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats in Europe.
The Czech Republic is proposing to include restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats in the Schengen zone in the EU sanctions packages from the summer of 2023, but so far the idea has not gained significant support.
According to media reports, Germany opposes the Czech proposal to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats in the Schengen zone due to concerns about potential retaliatory sanctions from Russia.
