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Putin promised no further retaliation over expulsion of Russian diplomats — Moldova leader

The Moldovan leader said the majority of the republic’s citizens disapprove of any move intended to worsen relations with Russia

ST. PETERSBURG, June 3. /TASS/. Moldovan President Igor Dodon, who met with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, said Vladimir Putin promised him that the expulsion of Moldovan diplomats from Russia will be Moscow’s only retaliatory measure over a similar move by Moldova.

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"I just spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and we discussed this issue in details. Today the Russian president assured me that so far no further steps will be made," Dodon told the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

"The positive developments regarding exports, migration, legalization, amnesty will also continue," Dodon added.

The Moldovan leader said the majority of the republic’s citizens disapprove of any move intended to worsen relations with Russia.

"The anti-Russian stance is shared only by those who are in the parliament. The majority of ordinary citizens want to be friends with Russia," he added.

Moldova’s government decided to expel five Russian diplomats on Monday. The country’s president voiced his disapproval for the move, describing it as "irresponsible." Russia declared five Moldovan diplomats persona non grata as a retaliatory measure.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged the Moldovan authorities to come up with a single stance on the issue, adding that the move has been a subject of "a heated internal political debate" among Moldovan officials.

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