SYDNEY: The Australian government on Thursday passed a legislation to prevent Russia building an embassy near the country’s Parliament in Canberra due to national security concerns, reported German news agency (dpa).
The bill was passed in both chambers of Parliament less than two hours after being introduced.
“We are acting quickly to ensure the leased site does not become a formal diplomatic presence,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a press conference minutes before the legislation was introduced, adding that the decision “is one taken in the national security interests of Australia”.
“The government has received very clear security advice as to the risk presented by a new Russian presence so close to Parliament House,” Albanese continued, including “the capability that (the site) would present in terms of potential interference with activity that occurs in this Parliament House.”
Albanese reiterated Canberra’s condemnation of “Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine”.
Home Affairs Minister Claire O’Neil said the land in question “is literally directly next to the Parliament”.
“We have made a decision this land will not be used for a future diplomatic presence, and we’ll come back to you when we have further information about the use of the land,” O’Neil said.
Albanese clarified that Moscow would continue to have a presence in Australia “at its existing premises in Griffith”, a suburb in Canberra’s inner-south, “just as Australia has a diplomatic presence in Moscow”.
“This is not about changing that, this is about the specific risk presented by this site, and that is why we are taking this action,” Albanese said. – BERNAMA-dpa
