Lavrov announced the closure of the military communications mission and NATO information bureau in Russia

The work of the NATO information office in RUSSIA has been suspended in response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the alliance. This was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a press conference with Foreign Minister of Guinea-Bissau Suzi Carla Barbosa.

“We are suspending the activities of the NATO military liaison mission in Moscow, the accreditation of its employees is being withdrawn from November 1 this year. And, thirdly, the activities of the NATO Information Bureau in Moscow, which was established at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, are being terminated,” the minister said. Also, from November 1, the work of the Russian representation to NATO will be suspended, Lavrov announced.

If NATO has urgent business, they can contact the Russian ambassador in Belgium, the minister added. Lavrov explained that this decision was taken as a response to NATO's deprivation of accreditation of Russian diplomats who worked in the Russian permanent mission to the alliance.

Lavrov added that since 2014, NATO has "extremely" reduced contacts with the Russian mission, decided to completely curtail cooperation in the civilian and military fields. In addition, the minister continued, the alliance introduced an almost "prohibitive" regime for Russian diplomats to visit their headquarters. “It is impossible to maintain contacts without visits,” he said.