Global Courant
SYDNEY — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday the government would block a new Russian embassy near the country’s parliament, citing threats to national security.
Russia currently has the lease for a plot of land near Parliament House in the Australian capital Canberra, where it wants to build its new embassy building.
Mr Albanese said new laws would be introduced to block development on national security grounds following intelligence advice.
“The government has received very clear security advice about the risk of a new Russian presence so close to the parliament building,” he told reporters.
“We are acting quickly to ensure that the rental site does not become a formal diplomatic presence.”
The new laws, which have won bipartisan support, don’t stop Russia from having a diplomatic footprint in Australia – just building its embassy so close to parliament.
Home Secretary Clare O’Neil described the site as “immediately adjacent” to the parliamentary buildings.
“The biggest problem with the proposed second Russian embassy in Canberra is its location,” she said.
“The government has received clear national security advice that this would pose a threat to our national security, which is why the government is taking decisive action today to end this longstanding affair.”
Albanese said he expected some backlash from Russia’s diplomats in Australia, who have previously threatened to challenge the matter in court.
“We are waiting to see what kind of reaction comes, but we have anticipated that as well,” he said. “We don’t expect Russia to be in a position to talk about international law, given their rejection of it so consistently and so brazenly with their invasion of Ukraine.”
The Russian embassy has previously stated that it was determined to complete construction despite Australia’s objections.
With relations between the two countries deteriorating at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Australian government is seeking to have the agreement scrapped.
Russia acquired the lease for the site in 2008 through an agreement with the National Capital Authority, an agency of the federal government. In 2011, it received planning permission to build its new embassy.
The government is forced to intervene after the lease has not been terminated through other legal means.
In August last year, the government announced that it would terminate the lease because Russia had violated certain aspects of the building permit.
That argument was rejected in federal court last month, prompting the government to move to national security law.
“The bill is simple,” said Ms O’Neil. “It identifies a specific piece of land in Canberra that currently has a lease between the National Capital Authority and the Russian Federation – and it terminates that agreement.” AFP
