MOSCOW. Dec 12 (Interfax) - Russia is expelling two officers of the German embassy in Moscow following the expulsion of two Russian diplomats from Germany, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
"A strong protest against the unfounded decision made by the German government on December 4, 2019, to declare two officers of the Russian embassy in Berlin persona non grata has been made to the head of the German diplomatic mission," the ministry said after it summoned German Ambassador Geza Andreas von Geyr.
"Therefore, acting on the principle of reciprocity and Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, the Russian side gave a response and decided to declare two officers of the German embassy to Russia as persona non grata. They are compelled to leave the territory of our country within seven days. The German ambassador was presented with a relevant note," the ministry said.