Russia expels Lithuanian diplomat in Moscow

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia on Wednesday ordered a Lithuanian diplomat to leave the country within five days.

“On Dec. 28, Chargé d'Affaires of Lithuania in Russia Jurgita Cibulskiene was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry … One of the diplomats of the Lithuanian embassy was declared ‘persona non grata’, he must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within five days,” a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said.

The statement also said that the Lithuanian side was “strongly protested in connection with the unjustified expulsion of an employee of the Russian Embassy in Vilnius.”

On Dec. 1, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that a Russian Embassy employee was declared “persona non grata” due to “activities incompatible with his diplomatic status.”