French authorities have frozen the bank accounts of the “Russian House” cultural center in Paris, effectively blocking its activities, according to Russian Ambassador to France Alexei Meshkov in an interview with RIA Novosti.
The Russian House, which promotes Russian language, culture and traditions, is under the state agency Rossotrudnitschestvo. Moscow has stated that the closure of the center violates bilateral agreements.
“It is an attempt to completely shut down the Russian House’s activities, as the accounts have been frozen. We are conducting difficult negotiations with the French, as the Russian House is a legally registered cultural center in France and it is active in Russia as a French cultural center. This is a negative development in the events of the past few weeks” Meshkov said.
Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has officially called for the closure of the Russian House in Baku, citing that it is not legally registered. Rossotrudnitschestvo head Evgeny Primakov confirmed that Azerbaijani authorities, despite repeated requests from the Russian embassy and the agency, had not responded to support the agency in upholding the rules.
In January, Azerbaijani television broadcast a report claiming that the Russian House in Baku was engaging in espionage under the guise of cultural promotion. Moscow denied the allegations and summoned Azerbaijani Ambassador Rahman Mustafayev to the Foreign Ministry.
Primakov announced plans to file a slander lawsuit against Baku TV and demanded either evidence or a retraction of the accusations and an apology. Local pro-government media compared the closure of the Russian House to the recent decision of Azerbaijan to shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in the country.
In January, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stated that Baku had suspended cooperation with USAID, fearing that the agency promoted US political interests and was not transparent in its work. He insisted that any US aid should be provided officially and with full transparency.
Primakov rejected comparisons between the Russian House and USAID, emphasizing that Rossotrudnitschestvo focused solely on humanitarian and cultural cooperation.
“The comparison between the activities of the Russian House in Baku and the US Agency for International Development does not stand up to criticism, as Rossotrudnitschestvo, in contrast to the American organization, is not engaged in political matters” he said.
Despite diplomatic efforts, the Russian House in Baku is facing immediate challenges. Moscow has received an official notice of the impending closure of the center and has announced its readiness to complete the registration process according to Azerbaijani law. However, Primakov stated that the center must vacate its premises within six weeks as the owner has decided to sell the building.
Russian Houses are active in dozens of countries worldwide. Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, Rossotrudnitschestvo has been on the European Union’s sanctions list since July 2022, although its centers in some European countries continue to operate.
The institutions support regional art and cultural communities, organize events, language courses, poetry competitions, children’s activities and theater performances.