By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia has declared four diplomats of the British embassy here personae non grata giving them ten days to leave the country in a retaliatory move against Britain's expulsion of as many Russian diplomats over Moscow's refusal to extradite a murder suspect.
"The British ambassador has received a note declaring four employees of the British Embassy personae non-grata, and saying they must leave Moscow within ten days," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said Thursday.
The spokesman expressed regret that Moscow had been driven to such a measure, and stressed that Russia was not seeking to aggravate relations with Britain, a major investor in Russia's economy.
"We are convinced that common sense will ultimately prevail," the spokesman said.
Earlier this week, London had ordered four Russian diplomats to leave the country, after Moscow gave its official refusal to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, who Scotland Yard suspects of murdering former Russian security officer Alexander Litvinenko in London last November.
He also said that Russian officials would stop visiting Britain, as London has now stopped issuing visas to Russian officials over the extradition dispute.
"In connection with the Litvinenko case, it has been announced that we will act reciprocally on all visa issues," Kamynin added.
Russia is also halting joint counter-terrorism efforts with Britain, he said."The measures announced by London on July 16 regrettably make Russian-British cooperation against terrorism impossible," Kamynin said.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice backed London's position in an interview Thursday with SkyNews in Lisbon, ahead of a Mideast Quartet meeting, and urged Moscow to fully cooperate with British authorities, in particular with their demand for Lugovoi's extradition to Britain.
Moscow has refused to extradite the suspect saying its constitution does not allow extradition of Russian nationals. Moscow has proposed trying Lugovoi in Russia if Britain provides sufficient evidence.