Slovakia expels three Russian diplomats

Slovakia has expelled three Russian diplomats over their alleged involvement with Russian intelligence services, Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday. It was TV Markiza that broke the story first on its evening news show, with no names disclosed. The decision was made last week and the diplomats are obliged to remove themselves from Slovakia over the course of this week. According to Foreign Ministry's press department director Juraj Tomaga, Slovak intelligence services determined that activities of the three diplomats were in breach of the Vienna Agreement on Diplomatic Relations. "Furthermore, visas issued by the Slovak Consulate General in St. Petersburg were misused, and in this context a serious crime was committed on the soil of another NATO and EU member state," added Tomaga. Slovak diplomacy has underlined that it has an interest in developing bilateral ties with Russia. "However, the activities of Russian diplomats in the Slovak Republic must be in compliance with the Vienna Agreement on Diplomatic Relations and common norms," stated Tomaga. The aktuality.sk website reported on the same day that the three expelled Russian diplomats doubled as intelligence operatives with diplomatic cover. In his Tuesday response on a social network, Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) said that the activities of certain officials of the Russian Embassy can't be left unanswered.