Russia will soon launch a response to Germany's decision to close the Russian consulate general in Bonn, a deputy foreign minister in Moscow has confirmed.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Russia would act swiftly regarding the new German measures targeting the Russian diplomatic mission in the western city.
Speaking in an interview with state news agency RIA Novosti, Grushko explained that Moscow's counter-measures would not drag out and would take place very quickly.
The statement follows an announcement by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who revealed that authorities in Berlin have decided to shut down the Russian Consulate General in Bonn by September 18.
Wadephul also confirmed that the German government has decided to denounce the bilateral agreement governing the operations of the Russian House, a prominent cultural center located in Berlin.
Role of diplomatic posts and cultural centers
Consulates general are diplomatic missions established outside a host nation's capital city to manage regional consular services, process visas, and support foreign citizens and trade relations.
Bonn, situated along the Rhine river in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, served as the capital of West Germany throughout the Cold War period. After German reunification, the federal capital moved to Berlin in 1990, but Bonn retained a significant diplomatic presence alongside several federal ministry headquarters.
The Russian House in Berlin, known locally as Russky Dom, functions as Russia's official venue for cultural diplomacy, offering language classes, art exhibitions, and educational activities. Denouncing the treaty that permits its operation provides the legal mechanism for revoking its official standing.
Expected Russian retaliatory steps
International diplomatic relations traditionally operate on the principle of strict reciprocity, where restrictions placed on foreign diplomatic missions lead to matching retaliatory measures.
While Grushko did not detail the exact nature of Russia's planned response, similar diplomatic disputes typically result in the expulsion of diplomats or the forced closure of host country consulates and cultural institutions.
With Germany's September 18 deadline for the Bonn consulate closure approaching, official announcements regarding Moscow's reciprocal steps are expected shortly from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
