MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. Russia will respond "very tangibly" to any new steps Germany takes to reduce Russia’s diplomatic presence in the country, should such steps be taken, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a commentary circulated on Monday.

"As for the German side hinting at possible new unfriendly steps to reduce Russia’s diplomatic and consular presence in Germany, our response in case they materialize will be imminent and will be felt strongly in Berlin," the diplomat said.

She stressed that Russia had introduced quotas on the number of employees at German foreign missions in a retaliatory move, but Berlin can decide on its own which members of the staff will leave their posts. Berlin was the first to take steps to reduce the Russian diplomatic presence, she noted.

"The government of the Federal Republic of Germany deliberately chose the path towards destroying bilateral relations, ruining or completely paralyzing in a matter of months the unique array of institutions and mechanisms of dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation that had been developed by several generations of Russian and German politicians, citizens and diplomats. The Russian side has not taken any actions to dismantle Russian-German cooperation on its own initiative," the diplomat stressed.