Russia suspends British Council

Move is a retaliatory measure in the dispute over London murder of Russian spy Litvinenko

MOSCOW: The Russian government has ordered the British Council to close down its two offices outside Moscow by the beginning of January.

The Russian foreign ministry said the council, which promotes British culture abroad, was operating illegally.

The UK government and the council said its operations in Russia were legal. A Russian official said the move was a retaliatory measure in the ongoing dispute over the London murder of Russian exile Alexander Litvinenko.

Relations between the UK and Russia have worsened since the former KGB agent was murdered in November 2006. In July, Britain expelled four Russian diplomats over Moscow’s refusal to extradite a key suspect in the murder. Russia followed by expelling four British diplomats.

Russian foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said the council had violated tax regulations, among other laws.

He said the expulsion of the Russian diplomats had disrupted the preparation of a bilateral agreement to govern the operation of cultural centres in both countries.

Both the UK Foreign Office and the British Council said the council was fully compliant with tax laws and operates on the basis of an agreement signed in the 1990s.