20 Apr 2021 14:19

Russia expels 2 Bulgarian diplomats in response to similar move by Sofia - Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW. April 20 (Interfax) - Two Bulgarian diplomats have been declared personae non gratae and have been ordered to leave Russia within 72 hours, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

"On April 20, Bulgarian Ambassador Atanas Krastin was invited to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he received a note from the ministry declaring First Secretary of the Consular Section of the Bulgarian embassy to Russia Nikolay Panayotov and First Secretary of the embassy's Trade and Commercial Section Chavdar Hristozov personae non gratae. The aforementioned officials have been given 72 hours to leave the territory of the Russian Federation," a statement published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website said.

"This measure is a response to the absolutely groundless decision adopted by the Bulgarian side in March of this year to declare two employees of the Russian embassy in Sofia personae non gratae," it said.

On March 22, Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova received a note demanding that two Russian diplomats be recalled from Bulgaria over a spy scandal.

Russia, in turn, has described the decision to expel its diplomats from Bulgaria as groundless, saying that it reserves the right to retaliate.