Poland closes consulate in Russia, sets general election date

Polish diplomats have taken down the country's and the European Union's (EU) flags and cleared the consulate building in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg.

Ba Lan đóng cửa một lãnh sự quán ở Nga, ấn định ngày tổng tuyển cử

Polish diplomats remove the Consulate sign from the building housing the Polish representative office in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Source: Anadolu)

According to RMF24 news agency on January 8, Poland has closed its consulate in Saint Petersburg after 53 years of operation.

The decision follows Warsaw's order to close the Russian consulate in the Polish city of Poznan by 2024 after accusing Moscow of sabotage. Russia responded by ordering the closure of the Polish consulate in Saint Petersburg.

Polish Ambassador to Russia Krzystof Krajewski, who attended the closing ceremony, said the closing ceremony had "been going on for some time" and was "very solemn".

Poland has been a strong supporter of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, providing weapons and taking in up to 1 million refugees since Moscow began its military campaign in February 2022.

In a related development in Poland, on the same day, the Speaker of the country's Parliament announced that the first round of the presidential election will be held on May 18. This is considered a decisive vote for the expectation of implementing the pro-European government's agenda.

The 2025 election will pit Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, a liberal candidate from Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition (KO) party, against historian Karol Nawrocki, the conservative director of the Polish Institute for National Memory, backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party.

If no candidate wins more than 50% of the votes in the first round, a second round will be held on June 1.

The election campaign will take place during Poland's six-month rotating presidency of the European Union (EU), a period in which Warsaw will focus on the need to strengthen European defense capabilities.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ba-lan-dong-cua-mot-lanh-su-quan-o-nga-an-dinh-ngay-tong-tuyen-cu-300210.html