Russia to Close German Goethe-Institut Cultural Centres Amid Diplomatic Dispute
Escalating Tensions Between Russia and Germany Over Cultural Institutions
By Jekaterina Golubkova
Background of the Dispute
Sept 3 (Reuters) - Russia will close Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural centres, Russian newswires quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Thursday, after Germany blamed Russia for a drone incident at the Leipzig/Halle Airport.
Germany's Response to the Incident
Germany's response measures included the closure of a Russian cultural centre in Berlin and a consulate in Bonn. On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin accused Germany of planting evidence in order to blame Moscow for the incident.
Russian Countermeasures
Lavrov said Russia would close the centres in the cities of Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, after Germany's decision to halt the operation of the Russian centre in Berlin.
Official Statements from Russian Authorities
"They (Germany) deliberately took this step - they could not have failed to understand - which means the end of their cultural presence in Russia," Lavrov said, according to state news agency TASS.
The centres had stayed open "despite all the Ukrainian complications in our relations with the West," he added.
History of Cultural Centres in Russia
Russia's first Goethe-Institut opened in Moscow in 1992, soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Following a diplomatic spat with Britain, Russia ordered the closure of its British Council in 2018.
Future Actions and Retaliation
On Wednesday, Lavrov's deputy, Alexander Grushko, said Russia would retaliate "very soon" for the closure of the Bonn consulate.
(Reporting by Jekaterīna Golubkova in Tokyo; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
