UK tells Russia dispute will hurt its reputation

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said it will tell Russia's ambassador to London on Wednesday that any "attack" on Britain's cultural arm in Russia would damage the Russian government's reputation.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the head of the British diplomatic service Peter Ricketts was meeting Moscow's Ambassador to London, Yuri Fedotov, to discuss a dispute over the British Council that flared again on Wednesday when Russian state security officials summoned Council staff for interviews.

"Any intimidation or harassment of officials is obviously completely unacceptable," Miliband told reporters.

Ricketts would make three "very clear" points to Fedotov, Miliband said.

He would tell him that cultural exchanges could only be a good thing between Britain and Russia and that the work of the Council in Russia was completely legal.

"The only losers from any attack on the British Council are Russian citizens who want to use the British Council ... and the reputation of the Russian government," Miliband said.

"I very much hope that there is still time for the Russian government to find a way to maintain the very important cultural work that goes on between our two countries," he said.

Miliband said he would meet the chief executive of the British Council later on Wednesday to discuss the situation.

(Additional reporting by Katherine Baldwin)

(Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Richard Balmforth)