MOSCOW, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — Russia on Friday declared 14 Bulgarian diplomats “personae non gratae” in response to Bulgaria’s expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats and other measures against Russian foreign missions.
Bulgarian Ambassador to Russia Atanas Krastin was summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry and informed of Moscow’s decision to expel 14 employees of Bulgaria’s embassy and consular offices, the ministry reported in a communicated.
In June, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced that his country would expel 70 Russian diplomats, claiming they were working against Bulgaria’s interests.
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry subsequently capped the staffing of Russian missions in Bulgaria at a maximum of 23 diplomats and 25 administrative and technical staff, equivalent to the staffing of Bulgarian missions in Russia. End
–
