Paris closes Business France office in Russia

MOSCOW - The French authorities decided to close down the office of Business France, the agency responsible for supporting French business in Russia and operating as part of its embassy in Moscow, the French embassy said Monday.

"This decision, which takes effect on July 16, 2018, was taken following a notification of Russian authorities that from now on, Business France is no longer allowed to work in Russia under the provisions of French law," an embassy statement said.

It said that in the last few months the conditions for the work of Business France in Russia have significantly worsened, following an "illegal arrest" of its bank accounts and the expulsion of its director.

Pierric Bonnard, the director of Business France in Russia, was expelled jointly with other French diplomats in March in retaliation to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from France after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain.

"The agency still considers it as its duty to continue supporting French enterprises in this important market and will henceforth rely on non-state partners working in Russia, to ensure the continuity of services that the French state intends to provide them with," the statement said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry appeared surprised by the French decision, according to Russian media.

"The Russian side has long been suggesting that the French authorities resolve all issues related to the status of the trade agency in accordance with Russian law," Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed ministry official as saying.

However, if the decision to shutter-down was made, it would have been the end result of a French initiative, while Moscow still remains supportive of developing trade relations with France, the official added.

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed at a meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that mechanisms of cooperation between France and Russia are being restored. This facilitates the "positive development of multifaceted ties."