MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday Moscow wouldexpel 60 US diplomats and close its consulate in Saint Petersburg in atit-for-tat expulsion over the poisoning of ex-double agent Sergei Skripal.

Lavrov said the US ambassador had been informed of “retaliatory measures”,saying that “they include the expulsion of the equivalent number ofdiplomats and our decision to withdraw permission for the functioning ofthe US consulate general in Saint Petersburg”.

Washington earlier ordered the expulsion of 60 diplomats and shut down theRussian consulate general in Seattle.

Lavrov added that Russia would also issue tit-for-tat responses to theother countries that have expelled diplomats in a mass show of support forBritain which has blamed Moscow for the poisoning of Skripal and hisdaughter Yulia with a nerve agent in the city of Salisbury.

“As for the other countries it’s also all symmetrical measures as to thenumber of people who will be leaving Russia from diplomatic missions, andthat´s all so far,” Lavrov said.

He added that Russia was reacting to “absolutely unacceptable actions thatare taken against us under very harsh pressure from the United States andBritain under the pretext of the so-called Skripal case.”

He accused London of “forcing everyone to follow an anti-Russian course.”

He said Britain had informed Moscow of the state of health of Yulia Skripalon Thursday and that Russia had asked again for access to her as a citizen.

Lavrov vowed at the briefing in Moscow that “we want to establish thetruth” over the poisoning and accused Britain of “making mockery ofinternational law.”

He said that Russia had asked for a meeting with the executive council ofthe Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on Tuesday to askquestions to “establish the truth.”

“We are counting on our Western partners not evading an honestconversation,” Lavrov said. – AFP/APP