Moscow: Russia's foreign ministry on Wednesday
lashed out at the expulsion of a Russian diplomat by Romania
in the wake of a spy scandal, warning that it reserved the
right to retaliate.
"In Moscow this action is seen as a unfriendly and
unprovoked step," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"We express a determined protest to the Romanian side,
which has taken on itself full responsibility for the possible
consequences. We reserve the right to take measures in
response."
Romania yesterday ordered the tit-for-tat expulsion of a
Russian diplomat, a day after a Romanian embassy official was
told by Moscow to leave Russia for spying.
The Russian security service said Gabriel Grecu,
accredited as the first secretary at the Romanian embassy in
Moscow, he had been caught trying to receive secret military
information and had "spying equipment" on him.
The foreign ministry said that by contrast the Russian
diplomat expelled from Bucharest -- who remains unidentified
-- "was not linked to any kind of activities giving a basis
for such a decision".
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 22:48