Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Friday accused Britain of violating international and Russian laws, responding to his British counterpart's criticism on the closure of British Council offices in Russia.
"In the situation with the British Council, our British colleagues are trying to manipulate international law, which they violated themselves just like they have violated Russian laws," RIA and Interfax news agencies cited Lavrov as saying.
Lavrov claimed Thursday that the British Council offices in Russian cities outside Moscow were set up illegally.
"The British Council was opened in Moscow on the basis of the mid-1990 agreement," he said, adding, "The British embassy later opened, without notifying the Russian side, Council offices in 15 places all over the country."
He said the British Council offices were being illegally set up outside Moscow and Russian authorities were compelled to "put an end to this."
The Russian Foreign Ministry has said that all those British offices, including two in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, will be closed from Jan. 1, 2008.
Britain's Foreign Office, however, said in a statement that the British Council has the right to work in Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and other cities.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband condemned Russia's decision as "illegal," saying Russia's moves would "constitute a serious attack against the legitimate cultural agent of the British Government and show a disregard for the rule of law."
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has also criticized Russia's decision to close the regional offices.
"It is a totally unacceptable action that has been taken, or has been mooted by the Russian government," Brown told a parliamentary committee.
Source: Xinhua
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