Russia expels four British diplomats
Russia said on Thursday it would expel four British diplomats from Moscow, retaliating for Britain's decision earlier this week to send home four Russian diplomats.
Foreign Ministry chief spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said the British ambassador had been handed a note earlier "in connection with the unfriendly actions of Britain towards Russia".
"He was given an official note declaring four British embassy staff in Moscow are now persona non grata and they should leave the territory of the Russian Federation within 10 days," Kamynin added.
He did not identify the diplomats.
The row, which has chilled relations between the two former Cold War foes to their frostiest since the fall of the Soviet Union, was prompted by Russia's refusal to extradite a murder suspect to face trial in London.
Kamynin also told reporters that Moscow would stop issuing visas for British officials and that recent British government statements made continued cooperation impossible with London in the war on terror.
(Published by Times Reuters, July 19, 2007)