Slovakia Expelled Vietnamese Diplomat Because of Businessman Abduction Case
Bratislava, February 5 (TASR) – Slovakia has expelled one of the diplomats of the Vietnamese embassy in Bratislava in connection with the kidnapping of a Vietnamese national, with Foreign Affairs Ministry State Secretary Frantisek Ruzicka giving a verbal note to Ambassador Minh Trong Duong on Wednesday, TASR learnt from the ministry’s press department on the same day.
The note states that Slovakia has declared one of the diplomats of the Vietnamese embassy in Bratislava as a persona non grata. He is thus obliged to leave Slovakia within 48 hours. At the meeting, Ruzicka also declared an interest in further deepening bilateral relations, which will be based on trustworthiness, mutual benefit and respect for the standards of international law.
“Slovakia decided for this serious step in connection with the final decision of a German court of appeal on the abduction of a Vietnamese national, while in this case, the diplomacy ministry promised sharp diplomatic consequences at the time when the very serious suspicions of abuse of Slovakia’s hospitality are officially confirmed,” said the press department.
The abduction of Trinh Xuan Thanh, a former Vietnamese politician and ex-manager of a major state-run company, from Berlin allegedly happened in July 2017. He was seeking asylum in Germany and thus was officially protected by the German authorities. Germany investigated a possible infringement of international law by Vietnam, while at the same time was also looking into the possibility that the abduction was carried out by misusing a Slovak government aircraft.
