“The response to the Russophobic lobby circle in Budapest will be strict and painful,” the ministry’s press representative Maria Zakharova told the state news agency TASS.
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What activities were carried out
Hungary is expelling 10 members of the Russian diplomatic mission who were “engaged in activities unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention” in Hungary, Foreign Minister Anita Orban announced on Tuesday.
The new pro-European conservative Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s government took this step to protect Hungary’s “security and sovereignty,” Orban said in a post on the social network Facebook.
The Vienna Convention is an international treaty regulating the conduct of diplomats.
Orban did not specify what activities these were, nor did she say how soon the Russian staff must leave.
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Magyar promised to end pro-Russian policy
Peter Magyar began his term as Prime Minister earlier this year promising to end the country’s pro-Russian policy.
“This decision protects Hungary’s security and sovereignty,” the Foreign Minister wrote in a released statement. “This does not mean breaking diplomatic relations with Russia. Hungary intends to continue the necessary dialogue based on mutual respect and adherence to rules.”
Magyar’s predecessor Viktor Orban was an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and repeatedly delayed or blocked European Union (EU) sanctions against Moscow and sought energy agreements with Russia.
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