Russia summons ambassadors, diplomatic staff from several countries, Romania included

Russia’ Foreign Ministry has summoned on Friday ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives from the countries that had expelled Russian diplomats after the Skripal case (the former Russian agent poisoned in the UK on March 4), including a diplomatic representative from Romania, according to DPA and Sputniknews.

DPA reported that ambassadors from UK, Germany, France, Poland and Italy hade been summoned, as well as diplomatic representatives from the Netherlands, Romania, Albania, Ukraine, Latvia and Macedonia, while Sputniknews talks about diplomats from 14 European countries: Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Albania, Romania, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Croatia, Sweden, Denmark, plus Australia.

According to the above-mentioned sources, the Russian foreign ministry have summoned the diplomatic representatives to give them a protest note and to be announced on the repercussion measures after those countries had expelled Russian diplomats in solidarity with the UK, which held Russia responsible for the nerve attack in Salisbury.

On the other hand, Bulgaria announced on Friday that it would not expel any Russian diplomats, with the Bulgarian PM Boiko Borisov stating that Bulgaria must maintain an open dialogue with Russia, considering his country is holding the EU Council presidency.

Romanian FM: The expelled Russian diplomat is an embassy’s counselor

Romanian FM Teodor Melescanu has said in Timisoara on Friday that the decision to expel a Russian diplomat has been taken “as an action of Romania’s solidarity with the serious incidents” in the UK. He mentioned the diplomat is a counselor of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, but refused to reveal his name.

“He is a counselor in the Russia’s Embassy in Bucharest, I cannot give you his name, on the ground we have to respect the confidentiality of the personal information,” said the Romanian FM.

Melescanu added that the discussion with Russia’s ambassador “had been very simple”.

“We presented the expulsion request and the ambassador told us that nothing that has been said is true, that Russia has not done such a thing and that there is no evidence. I told him that tests are under way, that apparently the origin comes from Russia and that there is no other logical explanation that someone else should have used the nerve gas. It was a very clear discussion (…),” Melescanu concluded