Moscow: Russia has decided to withdraw from the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
“In response to the hostile actions, Russian Foreign Minister S.V. Lavrov sent a message to the ministers of the CBSS member countries, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy [Josep Borrell], as well as to the Council Secretariat in Stockholm with a notification of [Russia’s] withdrawal from the organization,” the ministry said in a statement.
The decision will not affect Russia’s presence in the region, the ministry said, adding that attempts to oust Russia from the Baltic are “doomed to failure,” as Moscow will continue to work with responsible partners.
“Western countries … have monopolized the council for their opportunistic purposes, are making plans to organize its work to the detriment of Russian interests,” the statement read.
At the same time, the Russian Federal Assembly decided to withdraw from the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, the statement added.
