Russia declared persona non grata a diplomat from the Estonian embassy in Moscow. This is stated in the message of the Russian Foreign Ministry, circulated on Tuesday.
The Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that earlier, on charges of committing acts incompatible with his diplomatic status, Mart Lyatte, the Consul General of Estonia in St. Petersburg, was detained.
In response, Estonia last month declared a Russian diplomat persona non grata.
Estonian Ambassador to Moscow Margus Laidre was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
“The ambassador received a strong protest and received a note stating that, based on the principle of reciprocity, an employee of the Estonian diplomatic mission in Moscow is declared persona non grata, who is ordered to leave the territory of the Russian Federation within a week,” reads the message from the Russian foreign ministry.
The ministry warned the Estonian side against further exacerbation of the situation.
“Otherwise, there will be a new decisive response from the Russian Foreign Ministry. At the same time, the entire responsibility for the deterioration of bilateral relations will fall entirely on the Estonian side, ”the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.