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Russia declares Estonian diplomat persona non grata based on principle of reciprocity

The Ministry added that Russia will also have to take other reciprocal measures in response to "Estonian authorities’ insistent provocative activities against Russia"

Russian MFA Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Russian MFA

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. Russia has declared an Estonian diplomat persona non grata based on the principle of reciprocity, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, published Friday.

Estonian charge d’affaires Yana Vanamelder, who was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, was notified about that.

"The head of the Estonian diplomatic mission was presented with a decisive protest over the declaration of a Russian embassy employee persona non grata without any ground on March 24. Based on the principle of reciprocity, it was stated that an Estonian embassy diplomat of an equal rank must leave Russia within the same time span as was set for our colleague’s departure," the Ministry said.

The Ministry added that Russia will also have to take other reciprocal measures in response to "Estonian authorities’ insistent provocative activities against Russia."

"The responsibility for the total collapse of bilateral relations lies with those who make such decisions in Tallinn," the Ministry noted.

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