The British embassy in Tajikistan has expressed concern over the suspension of BBC FM broadcasts in Tajikistan even as Tajikistan\'s Foreign Ministry insisted the shutdown was not rooted in politics, RFE/RL\'s Tajik Service reported on 19 January. The embassy said in a statement, \"On 10 January, after the BBC was unable to complete the process of extending its registration in the 20 days stipulated by Tajik law, the broadcast of its programs was ended,\" RFE/RL\'s Tajik Service reported. The BBC called the 20-day deadline to register with the Justice Ministry, a new requirement for foreign media outlets mandated by recently passed legislation, \"unrealistic,\" Reuters reported. British Ambassador Graeme Loten said that the situation resulted from a \"misunderstanding\" and urged the Tajik government to allow the BBC back on the air. Igor Sattorov, spokesman for Tajikistan\'s Foreign Ministry, said the suspension was procedural and had nothing to do with the content of the BBC\'s programming, Asia Plus-Blitz reported. Sattorov said that his ministry was conducting an \"expert assessment of the situation\" and suggested that broadcasts could be restored as soon as the procedural issues were addressed. (RFE/RL)