Belgian Parliament building in Brussels. File photoBRUSSELS, May 1.Employees of the Belgian embassy in Russia, declared persona non grata, left Moscow on Sunday, the Belgian news agency Belga reported. flew from Moscow aboard a Belgian Air Force military transport aircraft, as there is currently no regular communication between the two countries. At the same time, the Foreign Ministry stressed that the embassy will continue to work despite the departure of a significant number of employees. «Our embassy in Moscow remains open , continues to function despite the reduction in the number of employees,» the Belgian Foreign Ministry said. On April 19, Belgian Ambassador to Moscow Mark Michilsen was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, he was strongly protested in connection with the decision of Brussels to expel 21 employees of Russian foreign missions in Belgium. As a response, Russia declared the employees of the Belgian embassy in Moscow persona non grata, who were ordered to leave the Russian Federation before the end of the day on May 3. Brussels called the decision to expel diplomats «unjustified» and assured that all employees of the embassy in Moscow «performed their functions in accordance with diplomatic accreditation and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.» At the end of March, Belgium announced the expulsion of 21 employees of the Russian embassy and trade mission in Brussels, as well as the consulate general in Antwerp. In Brussels, the Russians were accused of involvement in espionage activities that allegedly threaten the security of the kingdom. The diplomats were given 15 days to leave the country. Russian Ambassador to Belgium Alexander Tokovinin dismissed the accusations as unfounded. According to him, this decision deals a serious blow to Russian-Belgian relations and runs counter to the traditions of interaction between the two countries. to Ukraine, media reported
