Russia expels 3 Slovak diplomats in retaliatory move

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The Russian Foreign Ministry declared three Slovak diplomats persona non grata in a retaliatory move on Monday.

The relevant diplomatic note was handed to Slovak ambassador to Russia Lubomir Rehak, who was summoned to the ministry, a statement said, adding that the expelled diplomats must leave Russia within 72 hours.

A "decisive" protest was conveyed the head of the Slovak diplomatic mission for "obstructing the work of the Russian foreign institutions in Slovakia and threats to their safe functioning," the ministry said, adding: "The ambassador was pointed out to the inadmissibility of the recent cases of vandalism against memorials and graves of Soviet soldiers in Slovakia."

On March 14, Bratislava expelled three Russian diplomats, accusing them of violating the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.