The British Council's office in Russia's St. Petersburg suspended work
yesterday after security officials interviewed its staff amid recent rows
between Moscow and London.
Russian employees of the British Council's offices in St. Petersburg and
Yekaterinburg offices had been summoned for interviews with Russian security
officials, RIA news agency cited a spokeswoman of the Moscow-based British
Council.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Russia's "intimidation" of
British Council officials was "completely unacceptable."
Russia in December ordered the closure of regional offices of the British
Council outside of Moscow since Jan. 1, 2008, citing illegal status and tax
problems, an allegation rejected by the British side that re-opened the offices
after new year holidays.
On Monday, Russia called the reopening of British Council offices a
"deliberate provocation" and vowed to take new measures against the British
cultural body while Britain stood firm on the issue that has further soured
relations between the two countries.
Ties between Moscow and London have been bruised by the dispute over the
poisoning case of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko in London.
Britain expelled four Russian diplomats in July due to Russia's refusal to
extradite a main suspect in the case, Andrei Lugovoi, who was accused of
murdering Litvinenko. Russia also expelled four British diplomats in
response.