The Norwegian government said today that it was expelling a Russian diplomat.

Norway’s PST security police service had earlier said it had arrested a citizen suspected of providing information to a foreign country, later confirming it was Russia.

The authorities didn’t provide any information about the man while informing that he was suspected of “harming vital national interests”.

According to officials, the person who was arrested had held meetings with a Russian officer. 

The man reportedly worked in a company which provided certification for insurance in oil and gas, including maritime activities. The man was arrested in an Oslo restaurant after he met Russian official, the report said. A court ordered the man to be detained for four weeks.

The man was suspected of espionage. Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman Trude Maaseide said that the diplomat worked at the trade section of the Russian embassy in Oslo without naming the individual.