The Australian government will oppose the construction of a new Russian embassy near Parliament in Canberra, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Thursday, citing a risk to the country’s security.
“The government has received very clear security advice about the risk posed by a new Russian presence so close to parliament,” he told reporters.
Russia has leased land near Parliament in Canberra, in a contract signed in 2008 and which the Australian government has already tried unsuccessfully to cancel.
Albanese announced that, after having explored all possible legal avenues to no avail, Parliament will pass new laws to prevent the construction of the Russian embassy on this land.
“We are acting quickly to ensure that the leased location does not become an official diplomatic presence,” the prime minister said.
For Australian Home Secretary Clare O’Neil, the new embassy that Russia wants to build is a clear threat to the country’s security.
“The main problem with the proposal to build a second Russian embassy in Canberra is the location,” he said. “The location is right next to Parliament.”
The Russian embassy is currently located in the Griffith district, south of the city.
Source: TSF
