British Council defies Moscow
Monday, 14 Jan 2008 14:28
British Council defies Russian ban to open offices outside of Moscow
The British Council has risked the ire of the Russian government by opening offices that it had been ordered to shut.
The organisation said it had "no plans" to close its centres in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg amid accusations from Moscow it is guilty of breaching domestic tax laws.
In response the British ambassador was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry today to explain what it dubbed "provocation".
"Russia views such actions as an intentional provocation aimed at inflaming tensions in Russian-British relations," a statement on the ministry's Russian-language website said.
"The Russian side will not issue visas to new employees sent to work in the consular offices of St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg to carry out British Council work."
Last month the Russian authorities ordered the British Council, which fosters cultural understanding overseas, to shut its offices outside of the capital.
But its chief executive Martin Davidson remained defiant, saying: "We are committed to working in Russia, and we intend to remain open as long as there is demand for our services."
Following his meeting with deputy Russian foreign minister Vladimir Titov, the UK envoy to Moscow admitted the two countries had a "serious disagreement" on their hands over the British Council.
Sir Anthony Brenton said he had been supplied with a detailed series of complaints over the organisation's activities.
"What I said to [Mr Titov] in reply was a restatement of our clear view the British Council was working entirely legally," Sir Anthony told reporters outside the Russian foreign ministry headquarters.
He added that any further action against the council would be a breach of international law.
Tensions between Moscow and London have risen since the fatal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in late 2006.
British detectives' requests for the extradition of main suspect Andrei Lugovoi were subsequently rejected, leading to tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions.