Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the Czech authorities’ unfriendly decision regarding Russian property

We have taken note of the May 17, 2023, decision by the Government of the Czech Republic to cancel several government resolutions adopted in the 1970s and 1980s that granted Russian foreign representative offices free and permanent use of their land plots. We are waiting for an official notification. A retroactive demand for rent payments looks like a ransom demand at the state level, and runs contrary to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

We proposed several times to hold expert consultations on property issues. In the past, such consultations helped settle arising problems, but the Czech party has chosen to forget about this method. A civilised dialogue is out of favour in Prague now.

Property has long been a two-edged issue in our relations. We believe that its use for political purposes would not be in Prague’s interests, but the current Czech authorities, blinded by Russophobia, seem unaware of this. We will take measures to protect our interests, including through the use of legal mechanisms.