TALLINN, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Estonia's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday declared a member of the Russian embassy staff persona non grata.
The ministry said that it had summoned the Russian charge d'affaires to formally hand in a diplomatic note on the expulsion.
"By expelling the diplomat, we show that Estonia does not allow any activity organized by a foreign country on its territory," said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.
"The Russian Embassy has illegally interfered in Estonia's internal affairs, more precisely in the judicial process, when it acquired the documents of a criminal case and contributed to their publication on Russian social media," Tsahkna said. However, he didn't offer further details.
In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow would reply appropriately to Estonia's move, according to Sputnik reports.
Estonia and Russia have seen their relations deteriorate after the Russia-Ukraine conflicts broke out. They have lowered their diplomatic relations to the level of charge d'affaires since early 2023. ■