Britain is using the case of murdered Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in a political campaign that is harming ties with Moscow, Russia's foreign minister said on Friday.
Asked if the affair was having a negative impact on relations, Sergei Lavrov said: "Such an effect is being felt, because we see attempts from the British side to use the criminal case to build up some sort of political campaign." "We are against that. It is the business of the law enforcement agencies," said Lavrov.
Lavrov's remarks are likely to heighten a diplomatic feud over the Litvinenko affair that has already revived memories of Cold War spy scandals and soured relations between two countries now tied by huge sums in investment and trade.
Litvinenko, a former officer in Russia's Federal Security Service who took British citizenship, died last year in a London hospital after being poisoned by the radioactive isotope polonium 210.
British prosecutors have named Andrei Lugovoy, a business contact of Litvinenko's, as their chief suspect and formally requested that Russia extradite him to stand trial. Russia has refused, saying it cannot extradite its own citizens.
Litvinenko said in a deathbed statement later released by his friends he believed the Kremlin was behind his murder. Kremlin officials angrily denied the allegation. They believe London-based opponents of President Vladimir Putin are using the case to damage Russia's image and that Britain is providing a platform for their allegations.
Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair and Putin will come face to face in the German resort of Heiligendamm next week at the Group of Eight summit. A Kremlin official said it was not yet clear if they would have a bilateral meeting. Lugovoy on Thursday denied any guilt and said he believed British intelligence was involved in the killing.
"The poisoning of Litvinenko could not have been but under the control of British secret services," Lugovoy told a news conference in Moscow. In an interview with Reuters in Rome, Litvinenko's brother said Lugovoy's accusations were "absolutely absurd."
Some investors fear the affair could harm business ties between Britain and Russia, though there has been no clear evidence of that yet. London is the financial centre of choice for big Russian companies seeking listings and BP's Russian vehicle, TNK-BP is a player in Russia's energy sector.
Russian officials are likely to strip TNK-BP of its licence to develop the vast Kovykta gas field in east Siberia. But analysts say this is linked to a Kremlin drive to restore control over key energy assets, not the row with Britain.