AN OXFORD man has suggested the city should suspend all relations with its Russian twin town until the country changes its behaviour.

In a letter to the Times newspaper, Robin Laurance said ordinary citizens in Oxford had an opportunity to 'contribute to the nation's diplomatic efforts'.

Oxford has been twinned with the Russian city of Perm since 2004.

Speaking to residents in all UK cities with Russian twins, he writes: "The citizens of those cities and boroughs should ask themselves whether ties with the ordinary citizens of Russia should be suspended until the Kremlin ceases to sanction the doping of athletes, learns to respect international borders, resists the temptation to interfere with elections abroad and has suffered the consequences for attempting murder on foreign soil."

But Karen Hewitt, chair of the Oxford Perm Association hit back and said the twinning links were becoming 'ever more important' as tensions increased between the UK and Russia.

Oxford Mail:

She said: "Today our twinning links are becoming ever more important as difficulties and tensions increase between the UK and Russia.

"We are a non-politicall Association, very active in educational, cultural, social, and sporting activities in Perm and in Oxford.

"Readers of your newspapers will have seen some of the regular articles contributed by Perm journalists on subjects like traffic management and developing small businesses.

"Hundreds of people from Oxfordshire and from Perm have visited each other over the last 28 years.

"Many close friendships flourish and we see deepening interest in the culture and concerns of ordinary people in each other's cities and regions.

"How is the ending of such links going to help anyone in either country?

"How can destroying civil society be part of diplomacy?" 

Mr Laurance's letter was in response to the question, raised in the past week, of what further against might be taken against Russia in response to the attempted murder by nerve agent of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, widely believed to have been ordered by the Russian state.

Oxford City Council announced an official twinning relationship with Perm in December 2004, although unoffocial activities date back to 1990.

The Oxford Perm Association organises regular visits between the two cities.