Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural centers would be closed in Russia.

In remarks carried by Russian news agencies TASS and Interfax, Lavrov said Goethe-Institut branches would be closed in the Russian cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.

The statement came after Germany blamed Russia for an attempted ‌drone ⁠attack at ⁠the Leipzig/Halle Airport. Germany's response to that incident included closing the Russian House cultural center in Berlin and the Russian consulate in Bonn.

'End' of German cultural presence in Russia

"Of course they will be closed after our cultural center was expelled from there [from Berlin]," Lavrov said, speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

"They 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.

He added the centers had remained open "despite all the Ukrainian complications in our relations with the West."

What did Germany say?

Berlin said it regretted Russia's decision, calling it unjustified and damaging.

"The Goethe-Institut [...] has played an important role in Russia as a cultural bridge, and we would have been prepared to continue that," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters on Thursday. 

He noted that there had "generally always been a good relationship" between the people of Russia and Germany. The "problem," rather, was the Russian leadership, he added.

The foreign minister said Germany and its partners have "always been prepared to engage in a reasonable dialogue with Russia," but stressed that a "prerequisite for this is that Russia finally puts an end to its war of aggression against Ukraine and, above all, refrains from all attacks of any kind against us and our allies."

Wadephul said closing branches of the Goethe-Institut as payback for Berlin's closure of the Russian House was unjustified, as the German government's step had been in response to a clear act of aggression by Russia. 

Germany blames Russia for attempted terror attack in Leipzig

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Russia has also threatened to take further measures, possibly including the closure of Germany's consulate general in St. Petersburg.

On Wednesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned the charge d'affaires of the German Embassy in Moscow to protest Berlin's response to the August drone incident. According to the ministry, the official was called in over what it described as anti-Russian actions and statements by the German leadership.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Germany of planting evidence to blame Moscow for the explosives-laden drone.

What is the Goethe-Institut?

The cultural organization operates in around 100 countries worldwide, promoting the study of the German language and providing information about German culture and society.

Russia's first Goethe-Institut opened in Moscow in 1992, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Goethe-Institut is one of the last German institutions still operating in Russia.

In 2018, Russia ordered the closure of the British Council following a diplomatic dispute with the UK.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

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