Russia declares Consul General of Romania persona non grata in a tit for tat move
Moscow, June 25
Russia's Foreign Ministry said Thursday it had summoned Romanian Ambassador Cristian Istrate to formally inform Bucharest regarding the retaliatory measures over the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Constanta.
"Romania's ambassador has been called to the Russian Foreign Ministry to be notified of Moscow's response to the closure of its consulate in Constanta," Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
According to the Ministry, the Ambassador was presented with a note declaring the Consul General of Romania in St. Petersburg persona non grata and the upcoming closure of the consular office.
"This measure is a response to Bucharest's unfounded revocation of consent for the operation of the Russian Consulate General in Constanta and the declaration of its director as persona non grata," noted the Ministry.
Last month, a maritime drone self-detonated in Romania's Constanta port, causing no casualties.
Following the incident, Romanian President Nicusor Dan announced the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Constanta and declared the Consul General persona non grata.
He made the decision after a meeting of the country's Supreme Council of National Defence, where they discussed the consequences of a drone crash into an apartment in the Romanian city of Galati.
"In this situation, the Russian Consul General in Constanta has been declared persona non grata, and the Russian Consulate General in Constanta will be closed," said Dan.
According to the Romanian Ministry of National Defence, "during the night of 28 to 29 May, the Russian Federation resumed drone attacks against civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, in the vicinity of Romania's river border."
A drone entered the Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar systems as far as the Southern area of the Galati municipality, and crashed onto the roof of a residential apartment building, the impact causing a fire, noted the Ministry.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The drone incident seems suspicious though. A drone crashing into a residential building in Romania after targeting Ukraine? Looks like collateral damage from the ongoing war. Innocent civilians caught in the crossfire yet again. 😔
As an Indian, I see this escalation as a dangerous game. Both Russia and Romania are playing with fire here. Diplomacy should prevail, not retaliation. Russia's "persona non grata" move is predictable but concerning for regional stability.
Romania's decision to close the consulate seems hasty. They should have investigated the drone incident properly before taking such drastic action against Russia. Now both sides lose diplomatic channels for communication. Jhooti shaan dikhana aasan hai, lekin asli masla toh Ukraine war hi hai.
Interesting how this escalated from a drone incident to full diplomatic expulsion. Russia clearly views this as a violation of international norms. Meanwhile, Romania is asserting its sovereignty. Both sides have valid points, but the real losers are ordinary people who rely on consular services. 🙏
Russia's response is textbook: they always match the diplomatic action. But I wonder if this will affect any Russian-Romanian bilateral trade or cultural exchanges. Such moves rarely help solve the underlying issues. India should watch this closely as we balance ties with both Russia and the West.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.