The British government Thursday denounced as "reprehensible" Russia's actions in the current diplomatic row over cultural activities, and said the methods used by the Russian authorities were reminiscent of the Cold War, according to dpa. But Foreign Secretary David Miliband, while condemning Moscow's behaviour over the activities of the British Council in Russia, said the government in London would not "retaliate" in order to help protect the safety of the Russian staff at the Council offices. "Cultural activities should not become a political football," said Miliband. The European Union (EU) presidency in Brussels said in a statement Thursday that it was "very concerned" at Russia's continued demand to close the British Council offices, and regretted the "harassment" of British Council staff. "These actions are contrary to the spirit of the cultural cooperation Russia agreed to pursue," said the statement. The EU urged Russia to allow the British Council to operate "freely and effectively" in Russia and to refrain from "further action that might hinder its activities." Miliband confirmed that operations at the two offices of the British Council, a government cultural organization, in the Russian cities of St Petersburg and in Yekaterinenburg, would remain suspended. Russian staff at the offices had been subjected to "blatant intimidation" and the authorities in Russia had acted in a way "not worthy of a great country," Miliband said. "We have seen similar activities during the Cold War, but frankly thought they had been put behind us," he said. The actions against the British Council were a "stain" on Russia's reputation. However, the safety of the Russian staff employed at the offices was paramount and London would therefore not take retaliatory steps. These, Miliband suggested, could have included "sending back" paintings due to be exhibited at a major Russian art exhibition in London next week. Miliband said some 20 Russian employees had been "harassed" by the Russian security service FSB who had asked them about their work for the British Council, but also about the "health and welfare of family pets." "The interviews clearly had little to do with their work and were clearly aimed at exerting undue pressure on innocent individuals." Miliband stressed that the activities of the British Council were entirely legal. He also made clear that despite the current tension, Russia remained an important partner for Britain. In Moscow, the head of the Russia's International Affairs Committee said Thursday the British Council's offices should remain closed until "they comply with Russian law," news agency Interfax reported. "As far as I know the British council functions under French law in France and German law in Germany - only in Russia does it attempt to operate according to British standards," said Konstantin Kosachyov, head of the Russian parliament's International Affairs Committee. Russia maintains the British Council's operations violate Russian law, citing a 1963 Vienna Convention on consular activities to order their closure in December. "Russia is not a banana republic," Kosachyov added, saying the British Council should operate according to the "existing national legislation in compliance with standard democratic and civilized norms." He also emphasized that the conflict over the organization's operations was longstanding, dating back to 1994 when Russia suspended drafting the new cooperation agreement with Britain that served as the legal basis for the organization's operations. The British Council sees itself as the cultural arm of the British Embassy and has not registered as an non-governmental organization as requested by new Russian laws. Miliband revealed that the Russian side had "in private" made clear that the demand to close down the British Council offices was linked to the tension following the radioactive poisoning of Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in November, 2006. Earlier, the chief executive of the British Council, Martin Davidson, said the Russian authorities had made the work of his organization in Russia "impossible" by subjecting "innocent individuals" to a "campaign of intimidation." The cultural organization's director in St Petersburg was stopped by police for drunk driving Tuesday, but later released. In the US, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said he hoped the matter would be resolved "fairly and expeditiously" so that the British Council could "continue its good work in Russia."
