MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/: Russia expels a senior diplomat working at the Norwegian Embassy. The diplomat must leave Russia in three days, the Russian Foreign Ministry informed on Friday.
"Due to the unfriendly step of the Norwegian government, which declared a Russian diplomat persona non grata on August 18, on August 28, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Russia Rune Resaland has been summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry. He has been informed that as a tit-for-tat measure, a senior diplomat of the Norwegian Embassy has been declared persona non grata. His accreditation in Russia will run out within three days. This is the same time provided by the Norwegians for our employee to leave," the ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry also noted that the "destructive policy" of the Norwegian government has a negative effect on the atmosphere of bilateral relations. Russia stressed that Oslo is solely to blame for the consequences of such a policy.
On August 19, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry informed that a Russian diplomat would be deported from Norway "because he has engaged in actions that are incompatible with his role and status as a diplomat." The ministry did not provide the diplomat’s name or position.
Norway’s Verdens Gang newspaper claimed later that Alexander Stekolshchikov, an employee of the Russian trade mission in Norway, is the Russian diplomat set to be expelled from Oslo over a spy scandal.
