Russia expels Latvian diplomat in spying row

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday it was expelling a Latvian diplomat after the Baltic state expelled one of Moscow's diplomats in a row over an apparent spying case.

"One employee of the Latvian embassy has been declared persona non grata for activities incompatible with his status and for damaging Russia's security interests," the Foreign Ministry said.

The unidentified diplomat was given two days to leave Moscow, the ministry said.

The expulsions have overshadowed a period of improving relations between the two neighbors after often poor ties following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Latvia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it categorically rejected the allegation of spying against its diplomat or that the diplomat was a security threat to Russia.

"The Foreign Ministry expresses regret that the Russian side decided to react in just such a way to Latvia's decision on January 21 to expel a Russian diplomat," it said. It said it would name the Latvian diplomat once the person had left Russia.

Latvia's security police on Thursday named the expelled Russian diplomat as embassy second secretary and deputy consul Alexander Rogozin.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow and Patrick Lannin in Riga, editing by Matthew Jones)