Russia calls for negotiations on British Council’s future

Russia's Foreign Ministry says the closure of two regional British Council offices could be resolved in talks over softening visa regulations and resuming anti-terror efforts between the countries. That's according to the Russian Interfax news agency.

The latest Russia-UK spat broke after the British Council refused to close down regional offices Russia accused of tax evasion and breaching international law.

The Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg branches of the British cultural arm have stopped functioning.

Relations between the UK and Russia have worsened since the murder of Aleksandr Litvinenko, a former FSB agent, in London in November 2006.