The Hague [Netherlands], February 20: The Netherlands is expelling about 10 Russian diplomats, Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra told the television broadcaster NOS on Saturday evening.
He said the move was decided because Russia was trying to secretly station employees from its intelligence services in the Netherlands.
The Russian trade office in Amsterdam would also have to close, he said.
The Netherlands is further planning to close its consulate general in St. Petersburg.
Hoekstra said the Netherlands had decided that there should be a numerical balance of diplomats, meaning only as many Russian diplomats should be in the Netherlands as there are Dutch envoys in Russia.
He did not say exactly how many Russians would be expelled but referred to about 10.
Last March, the Netherlands expelled 17 Russian diplomats on suspicion of espionage and in response, Moscow expelled some Dutch diplomats from Russia.
Hoekstra said both countries had then agreed to admit new diplomats, but that Russia was refusing to issue visas. The consulate general will have to close due to the lack of staff, he said.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since the downing of passenger flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
At the time, the Malaysia Airlines Boeing was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile, killing 298 people, most of whom were Dutch.
Moscow's invasion of Ukraine about a year ago has further increased tensions between the two.
Source: Qatar Tribune
