Image by Santiago Casuriaga
Russia has declared the Estonian consul-general in St. Petersburg and the head of the consulate-general’s Pskov chancery as persona non grata, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, reports Russian state news agency TASS.
“The head of the Estonian diplomatic mission was handed over a note, which says that in response to Tallinn’s afore-mentioned provocative step, a decision has been made to declare Estonian Consul-General in St. Petersburg Jaanus Kirikmae and Head of the Pskov Chancery of the Consulate-General in St. Petersburg Katrin Kanarik as persona non grata,” the ministry said.
“These Estonian diplomats were ordered to leave the Russian Federation within five days,” the statement says.
The Russian side “stressed again that the Estonian authorities’ continued destructive line will inevitably have a most negative impact on bilateral relations.”
“The Estonian authorities will bear the entire responsibility for the consequences of such policy,” the ministry said.
