The decision by the Russian authorities to close the Goethe Institute leads to further deterioration of the relation between Berlin and Moscow – said the head of German diplomacy Johann Wadephul on Thursday.
– The action announced by Russia is regrettable and leads to further deterioration of our relations," said Wadeful dpa agency on the margins of gathering in Weimar with its counterparts from France and Poland, Jean-Noel Barrot and Radosław Sikorski.
The head of the German Ministry of abroad Affairs expressed his conviction that the Goethe Institute "every day proves that it deserves its place, supporting intensive cultural relations and social exchange between Russia and Germany, and doing so since Russia started its attack war against Ukraine under highly hard conditions".
Wadephul besides commented on the Russian House, a center in central Berlin, promoting Russian culture, which the German authorities decided to close on Tuesday.
The head of German diplomacy said: “I say this very clearly – the Russian home serves neither culture nor science.” He added that Russia must decide what kind of relation it wants with Germany.
On Thursday, Russian diplomacy chief Sergei Lavrow reported the closure of the Goethe Institute in Russia.
The first Goethe Institute facility in Russia opened in Moscow in 1992, shortly after the dissolution of the russian Union. Currently, this institution besides operates in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.
AB, PAP
