MOSCOW, August 20. /TASS/. Moscow will respond proportionately to Bucharest’s decision to declare a Russian diplomat persona non grata, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Saturday.

"Obviously, we will respond proportionately to Romania’s move, " the senior Russian diplomat warned.

Zakharova criticized as groundless Romania’s decision to declare a Russian diplomat persona non grata behind which she said there were far-fetched pretexts.

Bucharest’s move is "the latest provocation, carried out according to the scenario that has been repeatedly used in an overwhelming majority of EU and NATO member countries in recent months," she said. No independent policy line can be seen in Bucharest’s move which aggravates the situation further, Zakharovs remarked.

On Friday, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced the country’s decision to expel an employee of the Russian embassy in Bucharest. The diplomat left Romania earlier this week, the ministry said.

In early April, Romania declared 10 employees of the Russian embassy in Bucharest personae non gratae. Zakharova said then that Moscow viewed the move as part of a campaign by the United States and its allies to discredit the Russian special operation in Ukraine. In response, Moscow declared 10 employees of the Romanian embassy in Russia personae non gratae on May 13.