Latvia declared an employee of the Russian embassy in Riga persona non grata and expelled him from the country, dpa notes.

At the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diplomat must leave Latvia by April 10.

The charge d’affaires of the Russian mission reported this situation in a statement on Wednesday.

The Russian was expelled because of what the Latvian side called “unacceptable and provocative public communication, which was accompanied by the embassy for a long period of time” and clearly contradicts the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Communications.

Despite repeated warnings, the Russian embassy conducted inaccurate public communication aimed at discrediting Latvian state institutions and sowing hatred in society, the statement said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riga does not provide additional details.

Latvia, a former Soviet republic bordering Russia, is home to a significant minority of Russian descent.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago increased tensions between the two countries.