MOSCOW, March 19./TASS/. Moscow will retaliate to Tallinn's decision to declare a Russian diplomat persona non grata, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"Russia will give an appropriate response," the ministry said.

Earlier, the Estonian newspaper Postimees quoted the Estonian Foreign Ministry as saying that the Russian charge d'affaires had been summoned to the ministry and handed a diplomatic note saying that a Russian embassy employee had been declared persona non grata. According to the paper, the Russian ambassador was told that Russia’s actions were allegedly threatening the independence and sovereignty of the republic.