15 employees at the Russian embassy unwanted in Norway – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

– The 15 intelligence officers are declared undesirable because they have conducted activities that are incompatible with their diplomatic status, says Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt. The Russians have been in Norway as diplomats, but the Norwegian authorities believe that they have actually been engaged in intelligence. This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes in a press release. All must now leave the country shortly. Norway will not grant visas to intelligence officers who apply for one. The government’s decision is based on the fact that the new security policy situation has led to an increased intelligence threat from Russia. – Russia is the biggest intelligence threat in Norway. We take that seriously, and we are now taking action to counter Russian intelligence activities in this country. We will not allow Russian intelligence officers to operate under diplomatic cover in Norway, says Huitfeldt. The Norwegian authorities have followed the activities of the 15 embassy employees for a long time. The worsening security policy situation and the increased threat from Russian intelligence activity against Norway is the reason why the 15th is now undesirable. Russia will respond to the expulsion of intelligence officers from Norway. This is what the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs tells the state-run Russian news agency Tass, Reuters reports. There have been several expulsions after the Ukraine war. Also in April last year, three Russians had to leave the country because Norway thought they were intelligence officers. – I want to emphasize that Norway wants normal diplomatic relations with Russia, and that Russian diplomats are welcome in Norway. What we are doing now is aimed exclusively at unwanted intelligence activities, says Huitfeldt. Other European countries have also recently taken measures to reduce the number of Russian intelligence officers in their own countries, says the Foreign Ministry.



ttn-69