TALLINN. March 31 (Interfax) - The Estonian Embassy in Russia will keep working despite the expulsion of a diplomat, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said on Friday.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia was notified today of Russia's decision to expel an Estonian diplomat in response to Estonia's decision of March 24. The diplomat must leave the country by April 5," Reinsalu said.
The work of the Estonian Embassy in Moscow will not be interrupted, he said.
In early January, the Estonian Foreign Ministry demanded that Russia bring the number of employees of its embassy in Tallinn in compliance with the number of employees of the Estonian Embassy in Moscow, which would mean more than halving the number of employees of the Russian Embassy. A total of 13 Russian diplomats and eight members of technical staff were forced to leave the country. Russia responded by decreasing the level of diplomatic relations through recalling its ambassador and recommending that the Estonian ambassador leave Moscow. Both ambassadors left their host countries on February 7.
At present, seven employees with diplomatic status remain at the embassies in the Russian and Estonian capitals each.