Russia declares 2 Romanian diplomats personae non gratae

MOSCOW - Russia has declared the defense attache at the Romanian embassy in Moscow and his deputy personae non gratae, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

The charge d'affaires of the Romanian embassy in Russia was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry and handed a diplomatic note of the decision on Wednesday.

Moscow said the measure was a response to Bucharest's previous "unmotivated" decision.

On March 5, Romania declared the Russian military, air and naval attache at the Russian embassy in Bucharest, along with his deputy, personae non gratae, for "engaging in activities that violate the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."