Lithuania hands in diplomatic note to Russia after embassy incident in Moscow

VILNIUS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry has handed in a diplomatic note to Russian and called a recent incident in Moscow "an attack" after the Lithuanian Embassy's wall was smeared with paint.

Four unidentified masked persons smeared pain on the entrance of the embassy in the early hours of Monday, according to the ministry. The Russian police officers guarding the outside of the building did not react to the attack and the police were called less than half an hour later.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania has summoned  Andrey Gasyuk, a counselor of the Russian Embassy in Vilnius, in connection with this attack and has handed him a note of strong protest," the ministry said.

Vilnius is asking for explanations as to why the security officers did not react to the attack and what measures would be taken to ensure that similar incidents and negligent work of the embassy security officers do not happen again in the future.

"The Foreign Ministry requests the Russian Federation to take all necessary steps without delay to ensure the protection and inviolability of the embassy's premises and its property, to investigate the act of vandalism, and to bring those responsible to justice," the ministry said.

In the note, the Foreign Ministry demands that Russia comply with all its international obligations, including the Vienna Convention's provision that the host state must take all necessary steps to protect the premises of the mission from any incursion or damage, and to prevent any disturbance to the peace or dignity of the mission.