The British Council is suspending its cultural activities in two Russian cities, citing intimidation and harassment of its local employees by Russia's Federal Security Service. But a top Russian lawmaker is hinting at a possibility of resolving the dispute.
英国文化协会中止了在俄罗斯两个城市的文化活动。英国文化协会说，俄罗斯联邦安全部门对文化协会的当地雇员进行恫吓和骚扰。但是，俄罗斯一位高级别议员暗示，这一争端可能会获得解决。
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, speaking in Parliament, called Russian moves against the British Council's cultural centers in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg "reprehensible" and "not worthy of a great country." Miliband also said Russia violated the letter and spirit of the legal framework in which the British Council operates.
英国外交大臣米利班德在议会讲话时称，俄罗斯针对英国文化协会在圣彼德堡和叶卡捷琳堡文化中心采取的行动“应该受到谴责，不符合一个伟大国家的风范”。米利班德还说，俄罗斯在形式上和实质上都违反了英国文化协会运作的法律框架。
"Russia has failed to show any legal reasons under Russian or international law why the British Council should not continue to operate," he noted. "It also failed to substantiate its claims that the British Council is avoiding paying tax."
米利班德说：“俄罗斯未能按照俄罗斯法律和国际法出示任何合法的原因，说明英国文化协会为什么不应该继续运作。俄罗斯也未能证实其声称的英国文化协会在逃税一事。”
As Miliband addressed Parliament, the director-general of the British Council, Martin Davidson, announced suspension of the organization's operations in the two cities, citing intimidation of its local employees by Russia's Federal Security Service, the successor to the Soviet era KGB.
米利班德在议会讲话的同时，英国文化协会会长戴维森宣布，中止该协会在圣彼德堡和叶卡捷琳堡这两个城市的活动。他列举了前身为苏联时代克格勃的俄罗斯联邦安全部门恫吓英国文化中心当地雇员的案例。
"Our paramount concern is for the safety and well-being of our staff," he added. "And the Russian authorities have made it impossible for us to continue our work in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, and I have therefore decided we will suspend our operations in both cities."
戴维森说：“我们最关心的是我们工作人员的安全和康乐。俄罗斯政府使我们无法继续我们在圣彼德堡和叶卡捷琳堡的工作，因此我决定中止我们在这两个城市的活动。”
Russia says British Council offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg are illegal and ordered them closed as of January 1. The organization defied the order and this week, Russia's Federal Security Service called in local employees of the cultural organization for interviews and also visited their homes.
俄罗斯表示，英国文化协会在圣彼德堡和叶卡捷琳堡的办事处是非法的，命令他们于1月1号起关闭。文化中心藐视这项命令，照常办公。这个星期，俄罗斯联邦安全部门召见了文化中心的地方雇员，还对他们进行了家访。
Meanwhile, the head of the Foreign Relations Committee in the lower house of the Russian Parliament, Konstantyn Kosachev, told a news conference at the Interfax News Agency in Moscow that the British Council can reopen its cultural centers if it brings its activities in line with Russian law. Kosachev noted that Russia demands nothing more from the Council.
与此同时，俄罗斯国家杜马下院外交关系委员会负责人科萨切夫在莫斯科国际文传电讯社举行的一个记者会上说，如果英国文化协会遵守俄罗斯法律，文化中心就可以重新开放。科萨切夫指出，俄罗斯对英国文化协会没有更多的要求。
British-Russia relations deteriorated after Moscow refused to hand over former KGB officer Andrei Lugovoi. Britain has accused Lugovoi of poisoning another former KGB agent, Alexander Litvinenko with a radioactive substance in London last November. Lugovoi has denied the charge.
在莫斯科拒绝把前克格勃官员卢格沃伊递交给英国之后，英国和俄罗斯的关系就开始恶化。英国指控卢格沃伊去年11月在伦敦用放射性物质毒害另一位前克格勃特工利特维年科。卢格沃伊对这一指控予以否认。
Foreign Secretary Miliband says educational and cultural activities are important ways of bringing people together and should be separate from the politics of the Litvinenko affair. For this reason, he says Britain will not take similar actions against Russian cultural activities in Britain.
But Miliband he notes Britain will continue to rigorously enforce visa restrictions imposed against Russian officials in July for Russia's failure to cooperate with British efforts to solve the Litvinenko murder.
The British Council works in more than 100 countries around the world. Its activities include the arts, education and training, science and technology, sport, governance and human rights. Russia's cultural exchange includes an upcoming exhibit of Russian art at the Royal Academy in London. |