BRITISH COUNCIL IN RUSSIA (No. 2)

That this House is dismayed at the forced closure of British Council Offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg; deplores the intimidation of British Council employees; welcomes the decision of the Government not to retaliate in similar fashion against Russian cultural representatives in the UK; regrets that Russia harms its own national interests and reputation through its recent actions; appeals to the Russian government and the Russian people to resolve the issue in the spirit of friendship; and urges right hon. and hon. Members to make use of their contacts with Russian counterparts through the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and other international fora to express their deep concern on this issue.