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| UK ministers to meet Russian counterparts as relations thaw | UK ministers to meet Russian counterparts as relations thaw |
| (10 days later) | |
| The foreign secretary, William Hague, and defence secretary Phillip Hammond are to meet their Russian counterparts on Wednesday, in a sign of a gentle thaw in Anglo-Russian relations. | The foreign secretary, William Hague, and defence secretary Phillip Hammond are to meet their Russian counterparts on Wednesday, in a sign of a gentle thaw in Anglo-Russian relations. |
| Hague will hold talks in London with Sergei Lavrov, while Hammond will meet Sergei Shoigu. | Hague will hold talks in London with Sergei Lavrov, while Hammond will meet Sergei Shoigu. |
| The meetings come after Vladimir Putin and David Cameron bonded over judo at the 2012 London Olympics. Both men agreed to begin a new "strategic dialogue" using a "2+2" format. | The meetings come after Vladimir Putin and David Cameron bonded over judo at the 2012 London Olympics. Both men agreed to begin a new "strategic dialogue" using a "2+2" format. |
| Ties between London and Moscow have improved gradually after a series of bitter rows over the murder in London of former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who it later emerged was working for the British and Spanish secret services at the time of his death. Moscow has refused to hand over the two suspects accused of his killing, former KGB agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun. | Ties between London and Moscow have improved gradually after a series of bitter rows over the murder in London of former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who it later emerged was working for the British and Spanish secret services at the time of his death. Moscow has refused to hand over the two suspects accused of his killing, former KGB agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun. |
| Last month Hague applied to stop the government's secret files on Litvinenko from being revealed at a public inquest. Critics say this is part of a broader, dubious attempt to appease the Kremlin and boost bilateral trade. | Last month Hague applied to stop the government's secret files on Litvinenko from being revealed at a public inquest. Critics say this is part of a broader, dubious attempt to appease the Kremlin and boost bilateral trade. |
| Last week Britain extradited a Russian national, Maxim Vintskevich, back to Moscow. In the past the UK has refused similar requests because of Russia's deeply flawed judicial system. Russian officials hailed the moved as a "breakthrough in our bilateral relations". | Last week Britain extradited a Russian national, Maxim Vintskevich, back to Moscow. In the past the UK has refused similar requests because of Russia's deeply flawed judicial system. Russian officials hailed the moved as a "breakthrough in our bilateral relations". |
| Clearly, not everyone in Moscow supports rapprochement. Over the weekend it emerged that Russia's main domestic spy agency has been hounding Denis Keefe, a career diplomat and Britain's deputy ambassador in Moscow. Journalists for state-run media have run a smear campaign, accusing him of and being a modern-day James Bondbeing a spy. | Clearly, not everyone in Moscow supports rapprochement. Over the weekend it emerged that Russia's main domestic spy agency has been hounding Denis Keefe, a career diplomat and Britain's deputy ambassador in Moscow. Journalists for state-run media have run a smear campaign, accusing him of and being a modern-day James Bondbeing a spy. |
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