Russia to respond symmetrically to expulsion of embassy employees by Germany - Duma's Novikov
MOSCOW. Dec 4 (Interfax) - The principle of reciprocity which exists in diplomacy will be applied with regard to the German Foreign Ministry's decision to expel two employees of the Russian embassy to Germany, State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee first deputy head Dmitry Novikov told Interfax.
"Taking into account the circumstances and the charges voiced by our partners, a decision concerning the symmetrical response will be made," Novikov said on Wednesday.
"There is a reciprocity principle in diplomacy, and if a country undertakes such steps in relation to another, this latter country, as a rule, responds with measures it considers to be similar and commensurate, and, as a rule, there is no chance that it will not respond, and therefore I believe that, taking into account this entire combination of circumstances, Russia will respond symmetrically," he said.
"A response of this kind is within the Foreign Ministry's purview, and I am sure the Foreign Ministry is currently elaborating on response measures," Novikov said.
The German Federal Foreign Office had earlier declared two employees of the Russian embassy in Berlin personae non gratae in light of an investigation into the murder of a Georgian citizen.