SYDNEY, June 14 (AFP) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday (Jun 14) the government would block the construction of a new Russian embassy near the country's parliament, citing threats to national security.

Russia currently holds the lease for a parcel of land near Parliament House in Australia's capital Canberra, where it had planned to locate a new embassy building.

Albanese said that after receiving advice from intelligence agencies, new laws would be introduced to block the development on national security grounds.

"The government has received very clear security advice as to the risk posed by a new Russian presence so close to Parliament House," he told reporters.

"We are acting quickly to ensure the lease site does not become a formal diplomatic presence."

The new laws, which have secured bipartisan support, do not stop Russia from having a diplomatic footprint in Australia - only from building its embassy so close to the parliament.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil described the site as "directly adjacent" to the parliamentary buildings.

"The principal problem with the proposed second Russian embassy in Canberra is its location," she said.

"The government has received clear national security advice that this would be a threat to our national security and that is why the government is acting decisively today to bring this longstanding matter to a close."

Albanese said he expected some blowback from Russia's diplomats in Australia, who have previously threatened to fight the case through the courts.

"We will await what response occurs, but we have anticipated that as well," he said.

"We don't expect Russia is in a position to talk about international law, given their rejection of it so consistently and so brazenly with their invasion of Ukraine."

Russia's embassy has previously declared that it was committed to completing the construction, despite Australia's objections.