Russia announces closure of Goethe-Institut branches in three cities
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the aggressor state will close Goethe-Institut branches in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. According to him, this will be a response to Germany's decision to terminate the activities of the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin.
Lavrov's statement
Lavrov spoke on September 3 during a lecture by the Znanie society on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. He said the Goethe-Institut branches would be closed after the Russian cultural center in Berlin ceased operations.
The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry also said that Berlin's decision means the end of Germany's cultural presence in Russia. According to him, this presence had been maintained despite deteriorating bilateral relations over Ukraine.
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Germany's decision
On September 1, the German government announced the termination of an agreement regulating the activities of the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin. The decision was made after a drone incident at Leipzig Airport in early August.
Germany placed responsibility for the incident on Russia. Lavrov denied Russian involvement and said that the German authorities reached this conclusion because of the drone's similarity to aircraft used by Russia. The Russian Embassy in Berlin called the incident a provocation and said it represented a serious escalation in bilateral relations, Anadolu Agency reports.
