Goethe Institute branches in Russia to close, Lavrov says

Russia will close branches of Germany's Goethe Institute in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg in response to Germany ordering the closure of a Russian cultural centre in Berlin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday, according to the state TASS news agency.

“The Germans have branches of the Goethe Institute here... Of course, they'll be closed once our cultural centre has been forced out over there,” Lavrov said, according to TASS.

The Goethe Institute, funded by Germany's foreign office, is a nonprofit organisation that promotes the study of the German language. The institute does not list a branch in Yekaterinburg on its website.

Germany said it regretted Russia's decision. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters that the Goethe Institute had played an important role in Russia as a cultural bridge and that Germany had been prepared for it to continue.

Germany imposed sanctions on Moscow this week, including the closure of the Berlin cultural centre, after accusing Russia of an attempted “hybrid attack” involving a drone incident at Leipzig airport last month. Russia has described Germany's allegations as unsubstantiated and “absurd”.

Russia summoned Germany's charge d'affaires on Wednesday over what it called Berlin's “anti-Russian actions” in response to the Leipzig incident.