The Czech Ambassador to Moscow Vitezslav Pivonka arrived at the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday amid aggravation of bilateral relations and the mutual expulsion of embassy staff, RIA Novosti correspondent reports.
The diplomat proceeded to the Foreign Ministry without comment.
The head of the Czech Foreign Ministry, Jakub Kulganek, said earlier that the diplomats expelled from the Russian Federation must be returned by noon on April 22, otherwise the number of the Russian embassy will be reduced to the same as the Czech one.
After the expiration of the ultimatum, Kulganek announced that the composition of the Russian embassy in Prague would be reduced to the level of the Czech diplomatic mission in Moscow by the end of May. According to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 27 diplomats and 67 technicians are currently working at the Russian Embassy in Prague, and 5 diplomats and 19 technicians are working at the Czech Embassy in Moscow. Thus, 22 diplomats and 48 technical employees could potentially be expelled from the Russian diplomatic mission. Earlier Thursday, Kulganek said that about 60 Russians would have to leave Prague to equalize the size of the embassies.