The Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday that the resumption of the British Council's two regional offices is a "deliberate provocation" and pledged to take legal action to implement its ban on their operation.
"The British ambassador was told that Russia considers such actions as a deliberate provocation aimed at increasing tensions in Russian-British relations," the ministry said in a statement.
Last December, Moscow demanded that the British Council close its regional offices in Yekaterinburg and St Petersburg from Jan. 1, 2008, claiming they are illegal. But Britain said Russia had politicized the situation.
On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador in Moscow Anthony Brenton to discuss the situation.
The British Council is one of Britain's organizations for promoting cultural relations with other countries, with an emphasis on educational opportunities.
Source:Xinhua
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