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Setting aside past for the future
Source: Agencies |
September 13, 2011, Tuesday
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BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron declared yesterday that Russia and Britain must set aside bitter disputes over the poisoning death of a Kremlin critic in London five years ago to nurture new trading ties and promote world stability.
Cameron was in Moscow for the first visit to Russia by a British leader in six years, meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev, and holding the first talks by any British official with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in over four years.
Relations between Britain and Russia soured over the 2006 death of dissident ex-Russian security agent Alexander Litvinenko in London. Litvinenko made a deathbed statement accusing Putin of authorizing his killing.
Russia has refused repeated British requests for the extradition of the chief suspect in the case, ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi, who denies any involvement.
Following their talks, Medvedev said frosty relations between London and Moscow were thawing. But he warned Cameron there would be no change in Moscow's refusal to hand over Lugovoi, and dismissed British claims that corruption within Russia's legal system was discouraging foreign businesses from investing in the country.
"This will never happen, no matter what the circumstances," Medvedev said on Britain's hopes of putting Lugovoi on trial in the UK. "We all have to learn to respect our legal frameworks."
Putin, whose last contact with a British official was a brief 2007 phone call with then-British premier Gordon Brown, met with Cameron at his official residence and acknowledged the nations had a number of issues to overcome.
"Great Britain is our old trade and economic partner and we have lots to discuss," Putin said.
Though Putin acknowledged Britain had been a major investor in Russia in the last 12 months, he said "investments in the real sector of the economy are rather modest."
Cameron was in Moscow for the first visit to Russia by a British leader in six years, meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev, and holding the first talks by any British official with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in over four years.
Relations between Britain and Russia soured over the 2006 death of dissident ex-Russian security agent Alexander Litvinenko in London. Litvinenko made a deathbed statement accusing Putin of authorizing his killing.
Russia has refused repeated British requests for the extradition of the chief suspect in the case, ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi, who denies any involvement.
Following their talks, Medvedev said frosty relations between London and Moscow were thawing. But he warned Cameron there would be no change in Moscow's refusal to hand over Lugovoi, and dismissed British claims that corruption within Russia's legal system was discouraging foreign businesses from investing in the country.
"This will never happen, no matter what the circumstances," Medvedev said on Britain's hopes of putting Lugovoi on trial in the UK. "We all have to learn to respect our legal frameworks."
Putin, whose last contact with a British official was a brief 2007 phone call with then-British premier Gordon Brown, met with Cameron at his official residence and acknowledged the nations had a number of issues to overcome.
"Great Britain is our old trade and economic partner and we have lots to discuss," Putin said.
Though Putin acknowledged Britain had been a major investor in Russia in the last 12 months, he said "investments in the real sector of the economy are rather modest."
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