Canada has three 'embassies' in Moscow, and spends millions of rubles on their upkeep & More News Here – Upjobsnews

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OTTAWA – Long-running efforts to give Canadian diplomats in Moscow a modern embassy have left the government with three properties under lease, millions in annual expenses and people working in a building that has been described as “presenting significant health and safety risks” to those inside.

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Canada’s current embassy in Moscow, at 23 Starokonyushenny Pereulok, has been the nation’s outpost since 1951 and the building itself has stood there since 1898.

A briefing memo written in 2018 about the embassy said it was having “major structural” issues and electrical problems. There were cracks on the exterior walls, crumbling plaster inside and “inconsistent heating and cooling,” in a city where -20 C weather is not uncommon in January.

Prior to 2020, the government spent approximately $11.3 million just to keep the old building functional, while also pursuing a new embassy building at 4 Kursovoy Lane. Canada has held a lease on that building since 2008, but has been unable to do construction work to get it ready for Canadians to move in. As of 2018, the lease on the building cost $3.4 million per year, but it is paid in Russian rubles and varies widely year to year.

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As a stop-gap measure, Canada announced in January 2020 plans to move in with British diplomats at their embassy, with an original proposal to move in that summer.

Global Affairs Canada said the work necessary to move in with the British was still underway and the pandemic delayed some of the necessary work before the move could be made. Canada is already making lease payments to Britain, which total $1.7 million and cover the period between March 2020 and October of this year.

Lama Khodr, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said in the meantime diplomats were still operating out of the old embassy.

“The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that Canada and Canadians are represented and well served abroad,” she said in an email. “The embassy continues to fulfill all of its diplomatic roles and responsibilities. Consular services remain available to Canadians in Russia and consular officials are ready to assist if needed.”

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Canada’s official travel advisory for Russia warns people not to travel to the country due to the war in Ukraine and it also encourages Canadians in Russia to leave now, while commercial means are still available. Russian planes have been prohibited from flying to Canada and many other western countries making it difficult to leave the country.

Khodr said since entering into the deal with Britain work on improving the old building has stopped. She said while the lease for the new embassy was still in place no work was being done.

“With respect to the new embassy at 4 Kursovoy Lane, the agreement between the Crown and the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains, but work that was underway to proceed with the design and fit-up of the space is on hold in light of current events,” she said.

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Canada’s diplomatic relationship with Russia has been strained for years, well before the current war in Ukraine. Canada began imposing sanctions after the 2014 invasion of Crimea and significantly escalated the sanctions after the broader invasion of Ukraine began in February.

The British have a similarly strained relationship with Moscow and many of their diplomats have been ordered out of the country in recent years, freeing up space for Canadian diplomats to move in. Their building is much more modern with attached apartments

In addition to the sanctions, Canada has supplied weapons to Ukraine and called for an investigation into Russia’s actions as possible war crimes. The Trudeau government has not yet expelled Russia’s ambassador to Canada, but has twice summoned him to the foreign affairs department to be admonished by officials.

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Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said despite Russia’s horrific behaviour in Ukraine, he was not yet prepared to expel the Russian ambassador, because it would mean Canadian diplomats would have to leave Moscow.

“We know that Russian diplomats in Canada are not being helpful. They are spreading disinformation, they are pushing pro-Putin propaganda in a time of conflict and war. We have to weigh the negative of that against the positive of having extraordinary Canadians in Moscow who are giving us feedback on what the Russian people are doing, connecting with civil society, understanding and supporting Canadians.”

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Canada is not alone in having difficulty finding an upgraded home in Moscow. The British signed a deal for the land in Moscow in 1987, but had to work out a complicated arrangement with Russia for the actual construction and the building didn’t open until 2000.

An expansion of the U.S. embassy in Moscow sat vacant for 15 years between 1979 and 1994 after it was found that the building, which had been constructed by Soviet workers was riddled with listening devices.

Russia is also a highly corrupt country with Transparency International ranking them towards the bottom of countries when it comes to transparency.

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