Diplomatic relations between Greece and Russia reached a new low, as the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Greek Ambassador to Russia, Andreas Fryganas in a display of protest over the recent move by Greece to expel two Russian diplomats over allegations of meddling in Greek internal affairs by bribing businesspeople in Macedonia, northern Greece to influence Greeks public opinion on the recent name deal with FYROM.

According to Greek newspaper Kathimerini, the talk between the Greek Ambassador and Russian foreign affairs officials focused on earlier statements made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zacharova and the subsequent response by the Greek Foreign Ministry.

Maria Zakharova’s remarks concerned the Russian diplomats’ expulsion and were met with a response by the Greek Foreign Ministry which claimed her statements showed ”a lack of understanding of today’s world, in which states, regardless of their size, are independent and can exercise an independent, multidimensional and democratic foreign policy.”

The Russian Ambassador to Greece, Andrey Maslov expressed his disappointment over the expulsion in Russian state-owned Sputnik news agency. Mr Maslov said the Greek Foreign Ministry had overreacted, while dubbed the reaction of Ms Zakharova balanced and justified.