British Ambassador to Russia Tony Brenton said in an interview with Interfax that the murder of former Russian special services officer Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006 was among the principal reasons for tensions in Russian-British relations in 2007,
"The reason actually for the turbulence this year has been the murder of Alexander Litvinenko at the end of last year," Brenton said.
He pointed out that London had been seeking the extradition of Andrei Lugovoi, a Russian citizen, whom British authorities treat as the prime suspect in Litvinenko's murder.
"We sought his extradition, which was refused, regrettably. And there were some measures that we took after that, we expelled some diplomats, and you expelled some diplomats, other things have happened," Brenton said.
The UK hoped that the two countries would resume normal political contacts pretty quickly, he said.
"Unfortunately the Russian authorities have not yet taken the same view and seem to be pursuing a small vendetta, notably, against the British Council," he said.
The ambassador suggested that the problems facing the British Council's regional offices in Russia could complicate the beginning of negotiations between Russia and the European Union on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
"It will be very difficult, I think, for the European Union to adopt this mandate instantly at a time when the British Council is under extreme pressure, because part of the European Union's relationship with Russia is a cultural relationship," Brenton said.
He said, however, that London has never had the intention to block these negotiations.
"Britain has no intention of imposing a veto on the new talks," Brenton said. "We want a good, constructive, and forward-looking relationship between Russia and the European Union. We've been very supportive of carrying forward the so-called mandate of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to the stage that it is at now. It's blocked because of a separate bilateral dispute with Poland," he said.
"We really want to see those talks launched at the right time and in a way that strengthens the European Union's relationship with Russia," he said.
At the same time, political disagreements between Moscow and London have not affected economic cooperation between the two countries, Brenton said.
"On the economic side, our relationship continuous to boom. Our exports and your exports grow by 20% a year, the UK in 2006 was the largest investor in Russia," Brenton said. "It's a very strong, booming, and perspektivny [Russian for promising or encouraging], as you say, aspect of our relationship," Brenton said.
As regards Moscow's decision to demand the closure of the British Council's offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, Brenton said London views it as unlawful.
"We view that demand, first, to be entirely illegal, because it is in breach of the 1994 treaty between our two countries on cultural institutes," Brenton said.
The ambassador regretted that, because of certain frictions between Moscow and London over the so-called Alexander Litvinenko case, the Russian authorities "seem to be pursuing a small vendetta, notably, against the British Council."
The demand that the British Council's regional offices in Russia be closed down is also strange, "given the huge demand among the Russian people for the services of the British Council."
"It's very striking to me that Nashi [a pro-Kremlin youth movement] are planning to send people to the United Kingdom for education. Your foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, sent his daughter to the London School of Economics for education, your elite is using the British education system. Why on earth can't the British Council carry on making it open to ordinary Russians?" he said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded on December 12 that London close down the British Council offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg starting from January 1, 2008 on grounds that they did not have a proper legal status.
In particular, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement that these offices were working "under the roof of consular institutions" and violating Russia's tax laws.
Ambassador Brenton also said he believed amendments to British law essential for organizing an exhibition of Russian art in London should enter into effect on January 1, 2008, and so the exhibition should take place at the planned time.
"The Russian authorities are very keen to get the necessary assurances that their art cannot be seized as a result of legal cases lodged by private individuals in the United Kingdom. We have worked very hard to give them the necessary assurances, including updating our law a bit," he said.
"But there is a point I must make here. We have worked very hard to maintain our cultural relations precisely at the moment when it looks as if the Russian authorities may be tempted to undermine them," Brenton said.
The exhibition of 120 paintings from the State Hermitage Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, and the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is to open in London on January 26, 2008.
British media reported in early December that some of the exhibits could be seized upon their arrival in the UK if the British inheritors of their former owners lodge lawsuits to claim their ownership. In addition, according to the reports, British companies having Russian debtors could also initiate the seizure of the paintings.
The exhibits are currently in Duesseldorf, where they were exhibited, and they can stay there until January 6, when their insurance in Germany expires.
Russia has said repeatedly that the paintings could be exhibited in London only if the British government gives full guarantees of their safe return to Russia. However, Russia has still not received such guarantees.
Talking on the Kosovo problem, Brenton called for finding a solution to it as soon as possible.
London believes that "it is urgent that, even in the absence of our ability to get an agreement in the Security Council, the Ahtisaari Plan should be implemented next year," Brenton said.
At the same time, "We would immensely prefer to solve it [the problem of Kosovo] through the Security Council," he said.
"We think it's a pity that it looks unlikely that the Security Council can now agree to implement the Ahtisaari Plan," he added.
Talking about other problems on the international agenda, Brenton said Russia and the UK have some disagreements on Iran's nuclear program, "but they are less so."
"Our strategies on Iran are very similar, which is to discourage the Iranian authorities from acquiring a nuclear weapon," Brenton said.
He also regretted Russia's suspension of its observance of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE).
"We are very keen to find a way through that, and I think there are some ideas on the table which will hopefully resolve that," he said.
