Acácio Durães has been honorary consul in Nizhi Novgorod since 2015
Russia has reportedly withdrawn the credentials of the honorary Portuguese consul in Nizhni Novgorod, Acácio Durães.
Whether Mr Durães is still in Russia is not explained. Certainly his public Facebook page has no entries since 2019.
But reports today are suggesting the reason for losing this unpaid position “could be retaliation for the Portuguese ministry of foreign affairs’ decision” earlier this year to remove accreditation from the honorary consul of the Russian Federation in the Algarve, Bruno Valverde Coto.
Contacted by SIC television news, Mr Durães has said he has not been given any explanations for the decision.
He has been honorary Portuguese consul in the industrial area of Nizhni Novgorod, south of Moscow, since October 2015.
Photographs freely available on his Facebook page include one of him in 2017 on a mobile surface air missile launcher, with the message: “Happy Victory Day, Comrades”.
