Athens accuses Moscow of interfering in internal affairs, expels 2 Russian diplomats
BRUSSELS. July 11 (Interfax) - The Greek government has decided to expel two Russian diplomats, and ban the entry into Greece by two more, accusing them of intrusion into domestic affairs and illegal acts against Greece's national security, the newspaper Kathimerini said on Wednesday.
According to the newspaper, Athens has accused the Russian diplomats of "efforts to extract and circulate information, and to bribe Greek state operatives."
"The initiative follows numerous coordinated efforts to expand Russian influence in Greece including, among others, the activities of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society," the newspaper said.
"Despite this latest development, the same sources note that Greece continues, in line with its long-standing policy, to want good cooperative relations with Russia and to promote friendship between the two peoples, but they add that this can only be the case if both countries respect each other's sovereignty," it said.