Australia blocks construction of new Russian embassy
Australia will oppose the building of a new Russian embassy near parliament in Canberra, the prime minister announced on Thursday, citing a national security risk.
Anthony Albanese on June 2, 2023.
AFP
“The government has received very clear security advice about the risk of a new Russian presence so close to parliament,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters. Russia currently leases a site near Parliament in Canberra. The Australian government has already tried unsuccessfully to cancel the lease, first signed in 2008.
After futilely exploring all possible legal avenues, Anthony Albanese announced that new laws would be voted by parliament to prevent the Russian embassy from being built on the land. “We are moving quickly to ensure that the leased space does not become an official diplomatic presence,” the Prime Minister said.
For Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neill, Russia’s proposed new embassy is an obvious threat to the country’s national security. “The main problem with the proposed second Russian embassy in Canberra is its location,” he said. “The location is directly adjacent to the Houses of Parliament.”
The current Russian embassy is in the Griffith district in the south of the city.
AFP
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