G8 summit 2007 The British government on Thursday sought to defuse a row with Russia after members of the UK security services allegedly said that Alexander Litvinenko, a British citizen and former KGB officer, was murdered in London as a result of “state action”.
“In relation to the stories that appeared earlier this week, no intelligence or security officials were authorised to comment on the Litvinenko case. It is our long-running policy not to comment on intelligence issues. The police and the [state prosecutors] have identified one individual as the individual they believe should stand trial for this murder,” a Downing Street spokesman said.
Gordon Brown told parliament that he had informed Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, that the UK would continue to seek the extradition of Alexander Lugovoi over the killing.
“I made it clear to [President Medvedev] that the Litvinenko issue would not be closed,” the prime minister said following his first face-to-face meeting with the Russian leader, at the G8 summit earlier this week. “We have justice to do on the part of someone who was murdered on British soil and it is not an acceptable position to be where we are.”
Mr Brown also said he told Mr Medvedev the Kremlin must intervene in the dispute over TNK-BP. The joint Russian-UK oil venture has hit serious problems amid allegations from the UK side that Russian shareholders are attempting to seize control. The company’s difficulties “are not a commercial issue”, Mr Brown said in a riposte to the Russian leader’s description of the problems at TNK-BP.
Amid concern that foreign managers working for the joint venture might not have their visas renewed, Mr Brown said: “Whatever the difficulties in the commercial relationship ... the Russian government have a duty to look at the visas.”
The Russian authorities have resolved visa issues for some of the most senior staff at the joint venture. But more than half of the foreign employees at TNK-BP still have visa issues that may force them to leave the country. TNK-BP is in a dispute with the Russian authorities after one of its Russian executives asked in early April to cut the number of permits for foreign workers.
