The 24 Italian officials ejected from Russia on Wednesday in a retaliatory move have always full respected diplomatic protocol, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Italy is aware of the Russian Federation's decision to expel 24 diplomatic representatives, councillors and officials from the Italian trade agency (ICE)'s office there," said the statement.
"The representatives who received the expulsion orders have always carried out their functions with full respect for the Vienna Convention which governs diplomatic relations," the statement underlined.
