MOSCOW. Oct 5 (Interfax) - Russia has declared Lithuanian Charge d'Affaires a.i. Virginija Umbrasiene persona non grata and suspended the work of the Lithuanian diplomatic mission's culture center in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
"An employee of the Lithuanian embassy was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 5 to be presented with a note informing him that, in response to the unfounded expulsion of the Russian charge d'affaires a.i. to the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Charge d'Affaires a.i. to Russia Virginija Umbrasiene was declared persona non grata. She was told to leave our country's territory within five days," the ministry said in a statement published on its website.
"Taking into account Lithuania's hostile line toward completely dismantling bilateral relations, including humanitarian ties, the Russian side is freezing the operations of the culture center under the Lithuanian diplomatic mission in Moscow," it said.
"As we said, we reserve the right to resort to extra measures of influence depending on other unfriendly steps by Vilnius," it said.