CHISINAU, April 19 (Portal) – The small eastern European nation of Moldova on Wednesday subpoenaed the Russian ambassador to declare a member of the embassy staff persona non grata, prompting Moscow to complain.
Government spokesman Daniel Voda told reporters the decision was related to the actions of embassy staff against Moldovan border guards who refused entry to a regional Russian politician at Chisinau airport this week.
Moldova, which last year applied to join the European Union alongside its neighbor Ukraine, has repeatedly accused Russia of trying to destabilize the country, which Moscow denies.
Moldova on Monday urged Russian politicians not to interfere in its internal affairs after it locked down Rustam Minnikhanov, governor of Russia’s Tatarstan region. Police said he wanted to bolster support for a pro-Russian candidate running in a regional election.
Russian Ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov said he had received no answers as to why the embassy employee was kicked out and why Minnikhanov was banned.
“We view these actions as unkind steps towards our country,” he told reporters.
Reporting by Alexander Tanas, writing by Max Hunder, editing by Timothy Heritage
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