(Reuters) – Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Moldovan police had violated diplomatic protocol by blocking entrances to its embassy in the capital of Moldova.
Relations between Russia and ex-Soviet Moldova’s pro-European government have deteriorated sharply, with Moldovan President Maia Sandu repeatedly denouncing Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and accusing the Kremlin of trying to unseat her.
A statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website said security forces in Chisinau prevented people from entering or leaving the embassy on grounds that a bomb threat had been received.
“Moldovan security forces prevented the ambassador of the Russian Federation from entering the embassy and embassy staff, including family members, women and children, were not allowed to leave,” the statement said.
A protest had been presented to Moldova’s ambassador in Moscow, it said, and access to the building was restored.
“It is quite revealing that the embassy received no notification from authorities of the alleged bomb threat.”
“It is presumed in Moscow that the Moldovan side will in future observe without fail the provisions of the 1961 Vienna convention (on diplomatic relations).”
Police in Chisinau said they had received a threat of a bomb at the embassy, but provided no further comment.
(Reporting by Reuters. Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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