German Foreign Office Confirms Russia Froze Accounts Of Goethe Institute In Moscow

The German Foreign Office confirmed on Friday that Russia had frozen bank accounts belonging to the Moscow branch of the Goethe Institute, the German cultural center that operates worldwide

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2023) The German Foreign Office confirmed on Friday that Russia had frozen bank accounts belonging to the Moscow branch of the Goethe Institute, the German cultural center that operates worldwide.

Earlier this week, Latvia-based online newspaper The Insider (listed as a foreign agent in Russia) reported, citing sources, that the accounts of the Goethe Institute in Moscow had been blocked and banks had started to return payments to students who had paid for the courses.

"We confirmed that the accounts were blocked. We are in contact with the Goethe Institute on the matter," Foreign Office spokesperson Andrea Sasse told a news briefing.

A spokesperson for the German embassy in Moscow told RIA Novosti that the diplomatic mission was also aware of the issue and was "in close contact with the Russian Foreign Ministry.

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The Goethe Institute, which offers German language courses and exams, said on its website that exams scheduled for early April had been canceled, while enrollment for other tests was delayed. It did not immediately return RIA Novosti's request for comment.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in January that Russia would retaliate if Germany continued its crackdown on the Russian cultural center in Berlin. German media reported that the Russia House of Science and Culture was under investigation for alleged trade violations.