Employee of Romanian Embassy in Moscow declared persona non grata

Russia declared an employee of the Romanian Embassy in Moscow persona non grata, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday, Interfax informed. “On August 27, Liliana Burdea, Romania's charge d'affaires in Russia was summoned by the State Protocol Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry and was presented a document issued by the ministry , saying that an employee of the Romanian Embassy in Moscow was declared persona non grata,” the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation mentioned in a press release of the institution.   The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that “the measure is an answer to the previous groundless decision of the Romanian party to declare persona non grata an employee of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest.”   According to EFE, the Romanian charge d'affaires was summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry and left after ten minutes without making any statements to the press.   The Spanish news agency reminded that the Romanian Foreign Ministry had announced the Bucharest decision to expel a Russian diplomat when the Romanian Air Forces brought down three drones identified as being Russian, between July 24 and 26.   Moreover, Romania called back its ambassador to Moscow, Cristian Istrate for cunsultations, a measure not answered by Russia, according to the deputy press press manager of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Aleksei Fadeev.   The Russian diplomacy indicated in a statement made a month ago that the Bucharest auhtorities had not presented any evidence confirming that the drones were Russian to the Russian ambassador Vladimir Lipaev.   Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) confirms that the Russian Federation Foreign Ministry notified it on Thursday of its decision to declare a member of the staff of Romania's Embassy in Moscow persona non grata."This measure by the Russian side is reciprocal in nature, coming in response to the decision made by the Romanian authorities on 27 July to declare a member of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bucharest unacceptable," the Romanian Foreign Ministry said.The ministry in Bucharest brings to mind that the decision by the Romanian authorities was a reaction to repeated violations of Romanian airspace between 24 and 26 July, during which the Romanian Armed Forces shot down three Russian drones that had entered national territory without authorisation.