Moldova declares 1 Russian diplomat persona non grata

MOSCOW

Moldovan Foreign Minister Filip Cojocaru announced on Wednesday the country's decision to declare a Russian diplomat persona non grata.

"It was decided to declare an employee of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Chisinau persona non grata on the territory of our country," the minister told reporters in Moldova's capital.

He added that two more embassy employees were deprived of the right to special access to the airport.

The move came a day after leader of Russia's Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said the Moldovan authorities declared him and his delegation “unwanted citizens” on their arrival to the country.

Moldova, however, denied the claim, arguing that he was not allowed to the country due to a planned visit to the country’s autonomous region of Gagauzia, aimed at supporting a candidate in local elections.