MOSCOW - RUSSIA accused Britain of systematically trying to undermine diplomatic ties, but London said it had the European Union's backing in a row over the activities of its cultural council in Russia.
Moscow has ordered the presence of the British Council's regional offices in Russia to be scaled down, further damaging relations still reeling from a dispute over the murder in London of Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko.
Russia's foreign ministry this week said the Council, which promotes British culture abroad, must halt work at its two offices outside Moscow, saying they were illegal.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said such a move was unacceptable and told reporters after an EU meeting in Brussels on Friday that the EU soon would make its displeasure at Russia's move clear.
In a briefing in Moscow on Friday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was explicit in his criticism of Britain.
'Britain has embarked on a programme of systematic deterioration of our bilateral relations, expelled Russian diplomats, ceased all cooperative contact with the FSB (Russian state security service), meaning any and all counter-terrorism cooperation,' he told reporters.
'The British side has frozen discussion on improving the visa system which has the utmost importance in the development of relations between our two countries.'
Britain said in July it was scaling back cooperation with Russia as a retaliatory measure over Moscow's refusal to extradite the main suspect in the 2006 murder of Mr Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence agent.
Britain wants Moscow to extradite former KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoy - who denies any guilt - to stand trial on charges of poisoning Mr Litvinenko with radioactive polonium.
The retaliatory measures included Britain expelling four Russian diplomats. Moscow responded soon after by throwing out four British diplomats.
Following Mr Lavrov's comments, Mr Brown told reporters that Russia could expect to receive the EU's censure.
'I talked to many leaders today who are angry with what has happened and the (EU) presidency statement will reflect that anger. It is completely unacceptable and unjustifiable behaviour,' he said. The statement is expected later or on Saturday, Britain's Foreign Minister David Miliband said.
'I cannot conceive what benefit there is for the Russian government for closing down British cultural offices outside Moscow,' Mr Miliband told reporters in Brussels. 'Cultural exchange between Britain and Russia is something that we celebrate.' -- REUTERS
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Russia-Britain spat deepens after cultural ban 
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