On Friday, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Moldovan Ambassador to Moscow, Lilian Darii, expressing its protest against the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from Chișinău and the refusal to allow the Russian delegation to attend a FAO meeting. The ministry stated: "We conveyed to the head of the Moldovan diplomatic mission our strong protest regarding the baseless decision by the Moldovan side on March 19 to declare an employee of the Russian embassy in Chișinău persona non grata."
The statement added: "Additionally, the Russian delegation was prevented from entering Moldova to participate in the 34th Regional Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for Europe, which will be held in Chișinău on May 14 and 17." The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that "Darii received a note from the ministry indicating that in response to the expulsion of an employee of the Russian embassy in Chișinău, the Russian side declared an employee of the Moldova embassy in Russia persona non grata."
Relations between Russia and Moldova have deteriorated since the pro-European president Maia Sandu came to power in the republic at the end of 2020. The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly confirmed that Moscow is determined to establish friendly relations with Moldova and is unhappy with the West using this country for anti-Russian purposes.
