LONDON, Dec.13 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Thursday condemned Russia's plans to shut down two British Council offices in the country as "illegal."

    "Russia's threatened actions are illegal," he said in a written statement, adding Russia's moves would "constitute a serious attack against the legitimate cultural agent of the British Government and show a disregard for the rule of law and would only damage Russia's reputation around the world."

    It will also damage European Union-Russia cultural cooperation, Miliband added.

    The Russian authorities announced on Wednesday plans to shut down the British Council's offices in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg on Jan. 1, 2008.

    According to Miliband, the presence of British Council offices in Russia is entirely consistent with international law, including the Vienna Conventions. Its presence and activities are also specifically sanctioned by a 1994 UK-Russia Agreement on Cooperation in Education, Science and Culture.

    The British Council is the designated agent of the British Government for the implementation of the agreement.

    For the past nine years, said the statement, Britain has been keen to conclude a further Cultural Centers Agreement with Russia. Pending such an agreement being reached, the 1994 Agreement remains in force.

    "Russia's threats set back bilateral and multilateral efforts to improve cultural links, severely affect large numbers of Russians who benefit from the British Council's presence, and damage Russia's reputation around the world," read the statement.

    Miliband urged the Russian authorities to reconsider its decision.

Brown: Russia's plan to close British Council offices "unacceptable"

    LONDON, Dec 13 (Xinhua) - Russia's plan to close regional offices of the British Council is "totally unacceptable", Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Thursday.

Russian FM: British Council offices outside Moscow illegal

    MOSCOW, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The British Council offices in Russian cities outside Moscow were set up illegally, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

    The Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that all regional offices of the British Council in Russia will be closed from Jan.1, 2008.