Cameron meets Medvedev, Putin in rare visit

British Prime Minister David Cameron declared Monday 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 help promote world stability in the wake of the Arab uprisings.Cameron was in Moscow for the first visit to Russias capital 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 more than 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 Moscows refusal to hand over Lugovoi, and dismissed British claims that corruption within Russias legal system was discouraging foreign businesses from investing in the country.This will never happen, no matter what the circumstances, Medvedev said on Britains 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 leader Gordon Brown, met with Cameron at his office 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.Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed that Cameron had raised the Litvinenko case and other human rights concerns with Putin.Cameron, who was joined on the visit by about 20 business leaders including oil company BPs chief executive Bob Dudley and Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser, said he told Medvedev and Putin that their two nations would need to cooperate to grow their economies, despite differences.BP has faced recurrent troubles in its commercial dealings in Russia. In a recent development, bailiffs last month searched the energy companys Moscow office because of a minority shareholders lawsuit.BPs future in the country was among the subjects discussed by Cameron and Medvedev, an adviser to the Russian president told reporters.