Earlier, in June, the Icelandic Foreign Ministry announced that it would suspend the operation of the Embassy in Moscow from August 6. The Nordic country also asked Russia to reduce its diplomatic activities in Reykjavik.
In a statement at the time, the Icelandic Foreign Ministry said that because commercial, cultural and political ties with Russia were at an all-time low, the embassy's operation in Moscow was maintained. is "no longer justifiable".
After deciding to close the Embassy, the Icelandic Foreign Ministry affirmed that this move does not mean Iceland severing diplomatic relations with Russia. Iceland will also prioritize restoring the Embassy's operations as soon as conditions permit.
In a separate statement, Iceland's Foreign Ministry said that the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Lithuania will allow diplomats and other representatives of the country to access office facilities at the Lithuanian Embassy in Lithuania. city of Kiev (Ukraine).
Iceland has planned to increase its presence with the aim of showing solidarity with Ukraine amid the conflict.
“We hope the relationship with Ukraine will continue to strengthen in the near future. Since there are no plans to open an embassy in Kiev, this cooperation is a great start,” said Icelandic Foreign Minister Thordis Gylfadottir.
According to AFP, the Embassy of Iceland in Russia is the diplomatic mission representing this country in eight other countries in the region, including, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The country has opened 18 embassies abroad, with priority placement in line with the level of economic, political, cultural ties and development cooperation.
