St Petersburg: Offices of a British cultural organisation in two Russian cities reopened today after a holiday break, despite Moscow's warnings that defying a closure order would worsen already tense relations.

The British Council offices in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg opened without incident, but the Interfax news agency reported that the British ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in connection with the organization, which acts as the cultural department of the British Embassy. Interfax cited an unidentified ministry official. A ministry spokesman declined to comment.

Russia in December ordered the offices of the British Council in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg to close as of January 1, saying they operate illegally. British officials say Russian authorities have given them no grounds to accept that claim. "Today we are trying to say that we wish to continue to work and do our business here," James Kennedy, director of the British Council in Russia, told reporters at its St Petersburg office after it opened today. "We have received no information to indicate that our work is not legal."

Each side has accused the other of politicising the dispute, which developed at a time when relations between Russia and Britain are at a post-Cold War low, badly strained by the 2006 killing in London of former Russian security agent Alexander Litvinenko. Russia has rejected Britain's request to extradite the main suspect, Andrei Lugovoi. Britain expelled four Russian diplomats to protest Moscow's stand, and Russia -- which is also angry over Britain's refusal to extradite tycoon Boris Berezovsky and Chechen separatist envoy Akhmed Zakayev -- responded in kind.

Source : PTI