Russia threatens retaliation after diplomat is expelled

The decision by Irish authorities to expel a Russian diplomat has intensified

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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

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After the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from Dublin yesterday, The Kremlin, on Wednesday, via Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov said: "This is an unfounded and unfriendly act, which of course will not go without a corresponding reaction."

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin has called Russia’s threat to retaliate “completely unwarranted.”

A Spokesperson told Irishcentral that “There is no justification for any retaliation from Russia. Our staff in Moscow have no intelligence of any kind and any retaliatory action would be completely unwarranted... The action of expulsion was designed to address a serious problem”

The decision to expel a Russian diplomat was taken by the Irish government cabinet yesterday after a Garda report concluded that Russian intelligence agents stole the identities of six Irish citizens to further help embed the Russian spy ring that was cracked in the US last year.

One spy, Anna Chapman, allegedly used details stolen from a member of Dublin children's charity To Russia With Love.

David Cooney, the secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday informed Russian ambassador Mikhail Timoshkin that the activities of Russian intelligence agents were “completely unacceptable and not the behaviour the Government would expect from a country with which we have friendly relations”.

The Department of Foreign affairs also commented that the countries should move on in good spirit. “We hope we can move on and develop the very good relationship that exists between our nations.”

Irish President Mary McAleese, on a trip to Russia last September spoke warmly of her time with President Medvedev, “My meeting with President Medvedev was a key milestone in terms of deepening the important ties between our two countries. The work done in the past week will provide the platform on which the relationship between Ireland and Russia will be further developed to the mutual benefit of both our peoples.”

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