Russia expels 10 diplomats from the embassies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia

ARK News... The Russian Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday, announced the cancellation of the accreditation of 10 employees of the diplomatic missions of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia and their expulsion from Russia, in response to the steps of those countries against Moscow.

The ambassadors of the three countries were informed of this decision during their summons to the Russian Foreign Ministry earlier today.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: "A strong protest was submitted to the heads of diplomatic missions over the unjustified and provocative actions of expelling employees of Russian embassies in these Baltic countries."

The statement continued: "Based on the principle of reciprocity, it was announced that the accreditation of 4 employees of the Embassy of Lithuania, 3 of the Embassy of Latvia, and 3 employees of the Embassy of Estonia and the Peskov office of the Estonian Consulate General in Petersburg has been rescinded."

The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that the concerned diplomats leave the territory of Russia within the same period granted to Russian diplomats to leave the Baltic states.

On March 18, the authorities of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania decided to expel a number of Russian diplomats from their territories, claiming that they practiced activities "incompatible with their diplomatic status", and in a move that came as "an expression of solidarity with Ukraine."

Source: agencies

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