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Britain Defends Funding Of Russian NGOs

31 January 2006 -- Britain's ambassador to Moscow today defended his country's funding of nongovernmental organizations.

Ambassador Anthony Brenton was speaking in the wake of accusations that four British diplomats had spied on Russia. One of them had allegedly provided money for NGOs.

Brenton said Britain would continue to fund nonprofit groups because they benefit both Russia and Britain. In doing so, Britain was not in any way interfering in Russia's internal politics, he said.

The ambassador declined to comment on the spying allegations and said the embassy had received no official protest from Russian officials on the matter.

At a press conference earlier today, Russian President Vladimir Putin downplayed the spying scandal but said NGOs should not be used as instruments of other states' foreign policy.

(AP, Interfax)

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org