The British Consulate General in the Russian city of St. Petersburg has concluded its operations, Great Britain’s Ambassador to Russia Laurie Bristow said at a reception, TASS reported.
He pointed out that the consulate general had been operating in the city for 26 years and it was not London’s choice to close it.
According to Bristow, British-Russian relations were going through hard times as London had to reconsider relations with Russia following the poisoning of former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the city of Salisbury.
At the same time, he said that "the people to people links that we have built are even more important in these difficult times, and they will endure."
"We are working closely with the FIFA World Cup organizers and the Russian police to ensure that British fans have a safe and enjoyable tournament. That is our top priority," the British ambassador added.
