British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Wednesday that Russia's "intimidation" of British Council officials was "completely unacceptable".
"We've also heard very serious reports of intimidation and harassment of British Council officials," Miliband said.
"Any intimidation or harassment of officials is obviously completely unacceptable," said Miliband.
On Wednesday, the British Council in Russia said that it was "deeply concerned" about its staff's safety after its employees were interviewed by Russian security services and its St. Petersburg director were detained by Russian police.
Miliband said that the head of the British diplomatic service Peter Ricketts would meet Russian ambassador to London over the dispute.
He said that the council's work in Russia was "completely legal," adding, "The only losers from any attack on the British Council are Russian citizens who want to use the British Council ... and the reputation of the Russian government."
"I very much hope that there is still time for the Russian government to find a way to maintain the very important cultural work that goes on between our two countries," he said.
The British Council is an organization that promotes cultural relations and arranges educational exchanges with other countries.
Russia in December ordered the closure of two regional offices of the British Council in Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg from the start of the new year, citing illegal status and tax problems. However, the two British Council offices reopened on Monday after a holiday break.
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.
British cultural officials have said Russia's decision to shut down the British Council offices was politically charged. But Moscow denied the claim.
Ties between Moscow and London have been bruised by the dispute over the poisoning case of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko.
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.
Source: Xinhua
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