The press secretary of the German Foreign Ministry Andrea Sasse said that the Russian authorities blocked the accounts of the German Goethe Cultural Center (Goethe Institute). Deutsche Welle reports her words.
“We can indeed confirm the blocking of accounts and keep in touch with the Goethe-Institut about this. Please treat with understanding that while these conversations are going on, we do not disclose any details, ”said Sasse.
On March 29, the blocking of the Goethe-Institut's accounts was reported to The Insider by two sources «familiar with the situation.» According to the interlocutors of the publication, this could be due to «Maria Zakharova's statement about the Russian House in Berlin.» On January 27, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said that «retaliatory measures» would be taken in response to the blocking of Russian House accounts in Berlin.
Affiliates of the German cultural center named after Goethe, known as the Goethe Institute, operate in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk. Its goal is to popularize the German language and expand international cooperation in the field of culture. The day before, March 30, the Goethe-Institut canceled language exams for the next dates «for technical reasons.»