Russia Expels Estonia Envoy as Response to Latter’s Recent Requirements

Such a decision has been taken as a response to Tallinn’s actions of asking the lowering of Russia’s diplomatic representation in this country,AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.

“On January 23, Estonian Ambassador Margus Laidre was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. He received a strong protest in connection with the actions of the Estonian authorities. The Estonian ambassador should leave Russia on February 7, 2023,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry pointed out in this regard.

Previously, Estonian officials required that Russia diminishes the number of employees at its embassy by the beginning of the next month.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the decision was taken in an effort to reach parity in terms of the number of positions in the embassy.

“On January 23, Estonian Ambassador Margus Laidre was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. He faced a strong protest in connection with the actions of the Estonian authorities. The Estonian ambassador should leave Russia on February 7, 2023,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out in a statement in this regard.

The same Ministry stressed that following the decision, the number of employees at the Russian embassy must be reduced to eight diplomats, the same as the number of Estonian diplomats in Russia’s capital as well as 15 administrative, service and technical workers.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Urmas Reinsalu, considered that the number of Russian representatives is unjustified after the staff is not engaged in further promoting relations between both countries.

According to Russia’s embassy, the decision of Tallin does not promote both countries’ relations thus there are no grounds for the embassy to offer its services at its current level of diplomatic representation.

Minister Reinsalu emphasized the fact that since the start of the war in Ukraine, authorities in Estonia have notably reduced bilateral relations with Russia, indicating that there is no need for a higher number of persons engaged at the Russian embassy in Tallinn.