Russia closes operations for Sweden’s agencies that “promote national culture”
Russia closes operations for Sweden’s agencies that “promote national culture” Credit: Creative Commons
Russia has closed operations at the Swedish International Development Agency and the Swedish Institute, according to reports from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday 28 June.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced that Sweden’s International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Swedish Institute’s operations would cease by calling the Swedish Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in Russia J.Danielsson, June 28
Danielsson was told that all activities carried out by the Swedish International Development Agency and the Swedish Institute on the territory of the Russian Federation are now “undesirable and must be terminated immediately.”
If any Swedish diplomatic and consular institutions make further efforts to promote the projects of these bodies, their staff will be declared “persona non grata” with a corresponding abstract.
The Swedish Development Agency (SIDA) and the Swedish Institute are Swedish government organizations that deal with the practical implementation of the Swedish government’s policy of assisting and promoting the national culture, language and way of life abroad.
According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the authorities currently function as the implementation arm of the Swedish government’s Strategy for democracy, human rights and the environment in Russia 2020-2024 “with a total budget of SEK 389 million.
Russia claims that projects carried out in the Russian Federation by the Swedish International Development Agency and the Swedish Institute “do not meet the stated goals of promoting bilateral humanitarian and environmental cooperation, but instead focus on trying to destabilize Russian society.”
The news of the dismissal of Sweden’s agencies in Russia, follows Russia’s Vice President of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, who says that any attack by NATO on Crimea will be considered a declaration of war.
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