“This what happens when foreign governments try to interfere in Bulgaria’s internal affairs. The decision has been taken based on information gathered by the Bulgarian secret services,” Petkov said while speaking to national television BNT.

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on its website that the 70 Russians should leave the country by midnight on July 3.

“Bulgaria's request has two grounds: first, reciprocity based on Art. 11 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The staff of foreign missions should be maintained within a reasonable and normal framework, given the current state of bilateral relations,” the Ministry said.

“Secondly, because of the activity carried out by Russian officials, defined by the competent Bulgarian authorities as incompatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the aim of which is to develop friendly relations between the states. Activity classified by the relevant institutions as a threat to national security as a ground for declaring them undesirable,” the Ministry added. (ILKHA)