Russia expels 3 Slovak diplomats in reciprocal move

MOSCOW

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday it expelled in a reciprocal move three Slovak diplomats.

The decision was conveyed to the Slovak Ambassador in Russia Peter Priputen, the ministry said in a statement on its official website.

"On Aug. 31, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Russian Federation, Peter Priputen, for a strong protest about the unjustified expulsion of three diplomatic employees of the Russian Embassy in Slovakia in August this year," it said.

Moscow considers the step by Bratislava as "unfriendly" and "contrary to the traditional spirit of constructive development of relations between our countries", it added.

On Aug.11, Slovakia expelled three staff at the Russian Embassy in the capital Bratislava.

The local Markiza TV claimed the diplomats were expelled because they were intelligence officers working undercover.