Moscow expels Moldovan embassy employee - Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW. March 29 (Interfax) - Russia has declared an employee of the Moldovan embassy in Moscow persona non grata in retaliation for Moldova's earlier move, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Moldovan Ambassador to Russia Lilian Darii was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

Moscow declared a resolute protest to the Moldovan ambassador over Chisinau's decision to declare an employee of the Russian embassy to Moldova persona non grata and bar a Russian delegation from entering the country to take part in the 34th session of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Conference in Chisinau on May 14-17, it said.

"Darii was presented with a ministry note notifying him that, as a measure of response to the expulsion of an employee of the Russian embassy in Chisinau, Russia declared an employee of the Moldovan embassy to Russia persona non grata," it said.

In addition, the ambassador was told that Moldova was abusing its status as the host country of an FAO event and violating its obligation to ensure participation of all UN member states in this event, it said.