Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday announced eviction of 10 Russian diplomats for violate international agreements on Diplomatic links.
The wording used by the department referred to espionage. Sofia expelled two Russian diplomats earlier this month for similar reasons.
The European Union and the NATO member enjoy strong economic ties with Russia but several suspected cases of espionage have strained relations since October 2019.
the latest the expulsions come as relations between the West and Moscow hit a new moo over Russia invasion of Ukraine, which spawned unprecedented sanctions and saw Moscow diplomatically isolated.
Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Friday announced eviction of 10 Russian diplomats over that of Moscow invasion of Ukraine, following in the steps of Bulgaria.
“Latvia expels three employees of the Russian Embassy in connection with activities contrary to their diplomatic status and in view of the ongoing Russian aggression in #Ukraine. the decision has been coordinated with #Lithuania and #Estonia,” Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted.
Estonia has also expelled three diplomats and Lithuania four, according to their foreign policy ministries.
The Russian Embassy in Sophia said on Friday that Bulgaria decision expelling 10 Russian diplomats was “yet another aggression stepto which Moscow would respond accordingly.
In a report on its Telegram channel, the embassy said it viewed the deportations as a sign of Bulgaria’s intention to minimize Bulgarian-Russian relations.
“This hostile approach soon obtain a relevant assessment and a reaction, adequate to the new spirit of bilateral relations,” the embassy said.
