Russia freezes German cultural institute's accounts in tit-for-tat move

A woman walks inside the Goethe-Institut in Athens February 22, 2012. Picture taken February 22, 2012. REUTERS/Yiorgos Karahalis

The accounts of Germany's Goethe Institute have been frozen in Russia, the German Foreign Ministry said on Friday, following a threat by Moscow to retaliate against measures taken to curb its own cultural institute in Berlin.

"I can confirm that the accounts of the Goethe Institute in Russia have been blocked," the ministry spokesperson said at a regular government conference.