Russian Foreign Ministry Summons Canadian Charge d'Affaires

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the Canadian Charge d'affaires, Brian Ebel, was summoned over the statement of the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly that Ottawa wants a "regime change in Russia."

"On March 20, the Canadian Charge d'affaires in Russia, B. Ebel, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry and strongly protested in connection with the statement of Foreign Minister M. Joly during a press conference on March 10, 2023, about the intention of official Ottawa to achieve the goal of 'regime change' in Russia by all 'economic, political and diplomatic means," the statement read.

Moscow pointed out to the Canadian diplomat the inadmissibility of Ottawa's statements, noting that they run counter to Canada's obligations as a party to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, as well as generally recognized principles and norms of international law.

"It was stressed that the Russian side reserves the right to issue appropriate countermeasures, depending on the further steps of the ruling regime of [Canadian Prime Minister] Justin Trudeau in the context of his stated course of confrontation with Russia. It was particularly noted that the latest Russophobic attack, which has not yet been disavowed by the Canadian side, will have the most serious consequences for bilateral relations," the ministry stressed.