PRAGUE, April 21. /TASS/. Newly-appointed Czech Minister Jakub Kulhanek expressed his protest to Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmeyevsky over Russia’s decision to expel 20 employees of Czech Embassy, demanding that Russia return them back. Prague will await Russia’s decision until 13:00 Moscow time Thursday, the top diplomat told journalists.

"All expelled employees of the Czech Embassy must be brought back to their positions ni Moscow. We will wait for [Moscow’s] decision until 12:00 [local time] Thursday. Should this decision not be made, we will initiate the option of achievement of parity of the number of [embassy] employees," Kulhanek said.

"Relations with Russia are currently the most principal topic for Czech foreign policy. These relations have entered an extremely complicated period. [This fact] does not make me as a Foreign Minister happy at all, obviously," the top diplomat underscored.

Commenting on Kulhanek’s statement, the Kremlin spokeswoman Dmitry Peskov reminded that Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his State of the Nation Address that talking to Russia in demands is pointless.