MOSCOW, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday Austria failed to follow the norms of diplomacy when it made public a suspected spy case before consulting Moscow.
"In accordance with the norms of international communication, a clarification should be requested directly," Lavrov said at a press conference.
"Unfortunately of late our Western partners have made it a rule to resort not to traditional diplomacy with the observance of all decencies but to use megaphone policy, blaming us publicly and demanding that we give a public explanation of things which we do not know about," he said.
The Austrian ambassador to Russia was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to "draw his attention to what measures should be taken if there are questions concerning the Russian Federation," he said.
Austrian law enforcement agencies are investigating a retired colonel who allegedly worked for the Russian intelligence since the 1990s until this year, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said earlier in the day.
Austrian Defense Minister Mario Kunasek said they were tipped off about the spy case by a "friendly service" weeks ago.
Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl summoned the Russian representative in Austria over the matter and canceled an upcoming trip to Moscow.
Leonid Slutsky, head of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma, the lower house of parliament, accused the United States of instigating spy mania in Europe.
He believed that Washington is trying to put pressure on the European Union countries, including Austria, to drive a wedge between them and Russia.
