ROME, November 29 - RAPSI. The Venice Municipal Council will consider an initiative to suspend its partnership with St. Petersburg due to the latter's adoption of a law banning the promotion of homosexualism among underaged individuals. Venice council members Simone Venturini and Camilla Seibezzi initiated the proposal.

According to the document, an agreement between the two cities on bilateral cooperation was signed on February 18, 2006. But the council cannot ignore developments in St. Petersburg's state institutions, such as the adoption of the law banning articles, events or discussions concerning homosexualism.

Venturini and Seibezzi have proposed to stop implementing activities under the cooperation agreement until St. Petersburg abolishes the law and similar initiatives.The application to suspend relations with St. Petersburg will be heard no earlier than December 6.

Milan was the first city to suspend its partnership with St. Petersburg. On November 22, the city council approved a similar document, according to the municipality's official website.

The law imposing fines for "gay propaganda" took effect in St. Petersburg on March 30. It faced heavy criticism from the LGBT community and rights activists in Russia and abroad, but it has also been proposed to be made into a federal law. Any citizen who breaks the law in St. Petersburg may be subject to pay a fine for an administrative violation.

LGBT activists claimed that the law contradicts federal legislation, as "any mention of homosexual relations in public may be regarded as an administrative violation."