Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has introduced the Australian authorities will push to terminate Russia’s proposed plans for an embassy subsequent to Parliament House, flagging potential nationwide safety dangers.
On Thursday morning, Mr Albanese stated he would introduce laws to dam the lease settlement on the land at Yarralumla, the place the proposed embassy would exist, on Thursday morning.
“We anticipate this legislation will pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate this morning,” he stated.
“This action follows the conclusion of long-running litigation regarding the site.
“The government has received very clear security advice as to the risk presented by a new Russian presence so close to Parliament House. We are acting quickly to ensure the lease site does not become a formal diplomatic presence.”
Mr Albanese confirmed Russia would nonetheless have a diplomatic presence within the ACT’s inner-south suburb of Griffith, the place the embassy was first opened in 2011.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil stated the invoice carry launched to parliament was “straightforward”.
“It identifies a specific piece of land in Canberra which currently has a lease agreement between the National Capital Authority and the Russian Federation and the bill terminates that lease agreement,” she stated.
“The principal problem with the proposed second Russian embassy in Canberra is its location.
“The government has received clear national security advice that this would be a threat to our national security and that is why the government the acting decisively today to bring this longstanding matter to a close.”
He stated the Australian authorities continues to sentence Russia’s unlawful occupation of Ukraine, saying the laws was absolutely supported by the Coalition and crossbenchers.
“I thank them for their expeditious passing of it,” he stated.
“It is important that it take place and it’s important that it take place this morning.”
More to come back
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
