Russia expels Romanian diplomat in tit-for-tat retaliation

Russia has declared a staff member of the Romanian Embassy in Moscow persona non grata in response to Bucharest’s expulsion of a Russian diplomat, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

According to the ministry’s press service, the Romanian diplomat was ordered to leave Russia as a reciprocal measure following what Moscow described as Romania’s “unjustified” decision to expel a member of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest.

“This measure is a response to the Romanian side’s earlier and entirely unjustified decision to declare a staff member of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest persona non grata,” the ministry said.

The previous day, Romania’s chargé d’affaires Liliana Burda was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where she was informed of Moscow’s response.

By Vafa Guliyeva