STOCKHOLM, April 14. /TASS/. Norway’s counterintelligence chief Inger Haugland said on Friday that Russian embassy employees who were declared personae non gratae allegedly wanted to get hold of advanced Norwegian technology.

"They sought to gain access to Norwegian technology and Norwegian goods," he told a news conference in Oslo. He also claimed that the Russian diplomats engaged in electronic surveillance activities and sought to establish and maintain numerous ties in the country.

On Thursday, fifteen employees of the Russian embassy in Oslo were declared personae non gratae. According to Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt, the Russian diplomats had been conducting "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status." At the same time, she noted that Russian diplomats were "always welcome in the country" and that Norway "wants to maintain normal diplomatic relations with Russia."