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Moscow urges Moldova to take joint decision on Russian diplomats

Five diplomats from the Russian Embassy to Moldova were declared personae-non-grata on May 29
Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Vyacheslav Prokofiev/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Vyacheslav Prokofiev/TASS

MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. Moldova should make a joint decision on the expelled Russian diplomats and it is early now to speak about Moscow’s response to this move, Russian Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Wednesday.

"Moldova should decide itself what it wants to do," Zakharova said, noting that fierce political debates are underway in the republic on the latest developments.

"We consider that we deal with a country and a single position of this country on international issues, this practice has existed until recently," the diplomat said. "Chisinau needs to define its position regardless of where and what steps of the kind are taken. As usual, adequate, tit-for-tat and symmetric measures are taken in response."

Zakharova stressed that it is early to speak about Russia’s possible measures. "We should wait until Chisinau takes a joint and measured decision, and the political forces in the country should agree with each other."

Five diplomats from the Russian Embassy to Moldova were declared personae-non-grata on Monday, Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration told reporters. In his turn, Moldovan President Igor Dodon condemned the government’s move, stressing that it is directed against his steps on restoring relations with Russia.