France declares two Azerbaijani embassy employees personae non gratae

BAKU. Dec 27 (Interfax) - France is expelling two employees of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris as a retaliatory measure, the French Foreign Ministry said.

"France takes note of Azerbaijan's decision to declare two of the diplomatic staff of the French Embassy in Azerbaijan personae non gratae. [...] France has declared two employees of the Azerbaijani Embassy in France personae non gratae as a retaliatory measure," the ministry said in a statement.

Azerbaijani Ambassador in Paris Leyla Abdullayeva was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry on Wednesday to be informed about this decision, the statement said.

Two employees of the French Embassy in Azerbaijan were earlier declared personae non gratae, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said. French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Boillon was summoned to the ministry on Tuesday, it said.

"The French ambassador was informed that the Azerbaijani government had declared two employees of the French embassy personae non gratae for activity incompatible with the diplomatic status and inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961," the ministry said.

The respective note was presented to the French side.