The British Council is to close 10 of its 19 offices in Europe and promote its presence in the Muslim world, the British daily The Times reported in an early edition of its Monday newspaper.

The state-funded council, which aims to promote British culture overseas, will close its offices in Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia in the coming years, Martin Davidson, the body's director-general designate, told The Times.

The council will promote its activities in such Muslim countries as Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Iraq and Afghanistan, to bridge "the widening gap of trust" between Britain and the Muslim world, he said.

The council will also increase its presence in Nepal, he added.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)