Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and his Austrian counterpart Karin Kneissl discussed situation over detention of a retired Austrian colonel who is suspected involvement in espionage for Russia.

Lavrov said that the practice of making public groundless charges is unacceptable. He added that any such concerns should be resolved through a dialogue and on the basis of facts.

At the same time, Kneissl explained Vienna’s postion. She expressed the hope that the current situation will not affect further development of bilateral cooperation.