Spain joined the league and expels two Russian diplomats due to Skripal case

Spain will expel two Russian diplomats as a retaliation on the poisoning of ex Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter on March 4 2018, in Salisbury, UK.  The two diplomats who come under the category of an attaché in the embassy has been given 7 days to leave the country. In one of its communication Ministry of External Affairs of Spain has considered that “the premeditated attack in Salisbury by the use of a neurotoxic agent is the extremely serious incident which represents a threat series to our security and the international rights.”

US, Europeans and allies expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The expulsion of Russian diplomats is the answer to the Skripal case which was coordinated with other European nations but in the case of Spain, the decision was little delayed by the diplomatic courtesy.  When the Ministry of External Affairs called the Russian ambassador in Madrid, Yuri P. Korchagin, for informing him personally about the expulsion of their two diplomats of that legate. Since the ambassador was travelling outside the country, then they have to wait. When the ambassador returned to his office in the evening this Monday, he was informed about the situation. In Spain, there are 38 Russian diplomats and Madrid have 30 diplomats in Moscow.

Read: U.S. to expel over 60 Russian diplomats: Strongest action by President Trump against Moscow since coming to office

The official statement issued this Monday, in addition of reaffirming its solidarity of executive with the United Kingdom and with the one who have been affected, the External Affairs have explained the decision taken is in line with the accordance by all the countries of European Union in the last European Council of 23rd March. The ministry also added that the decision of expelling diplomats haven’t been taken under the pressure of other European countries but it is following the suit that 14 other European countries have followed by expelling 2-3 diplomats from their countries.

The political and diplomatic relationship between Spain and Russia hadn’t experienced a single complicated and difficult moment until in the last year autumn, when the case of interference from the Russian territories came into notice during the Catalan crisis, with the uneven promotion of fake news, certain cover-ups and calculated ambiguity about the independence process in Catalonia from the Russian authorities. Since then the External Affair minister Alfonso Dastis have been unsuccessfully trying to fix a direct talk with his Russian counterpart Serguéi Lavrov. Last time, just a couple of week ago, they met in Munich during a security conference, which discouraged the further talks between two nations.

 

Source: Javier Casquiero (El Pais)

Abhinav Kaushal

The Kootneeti Team- Latin America & Spain Desk

 

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