MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. Russia has ordered the chief correspondent of the Bulgarian National Radio in Moscow to surrender his accreditation and leave the country as a retaliatory measure, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry added that Russia will consider allowing the Bulgarian journalist to come back if Sofia accredits the Russian journalist again.

"In response to the persecution by the Bulgarian authorities, involving the special services, of Alexander Gatsak, a journalist for the Rossiyskaya Gazeta in Sofia, and the subsequent withdrawal of his permanent accreditation, we are forced to take retaliatory measures against A. Grigorov, the chief correspondent of the Bulgarian National Radio in Moscow. He has been ordered to hand in his accreditation card and leave Russia."

"Being guided by the principles of media freedom and pragmatic cooperation, the Russian side will be ready to consider the possibility of Bulgarian National Radio correspondent A. Grigorov resuming his work in Russia in case Bulgaria’s government decides positively on the Rossiyskaya Gazeta journalist’s accreditation in Sofia," the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.