MOSCOW, July 17 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian natural resources minister said Tuesday his ministry would keep investment agreements with British companies intact despite recent actions by the British authorities.
Britain announced they would be expelling four Russian diplomats and restricting the issue of visas for Russian officials following Moscow's refusal to extradite businessman Andrei Lugovoi, who is accused of the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.
"I do not think it will be necessary to impose any sanctions that could affect the investment climate, because it is very expensive, in Britain also," Yury Trutnev said.
Oil companies Imperial Energy, British Petroleum (BP) and Shell are amongst Russia's largest British partners.
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced Monday the decision to expel the Russian diplomats, a move Russia has condemned as "immoral" and "Russophobic."
"We have chosen to expel four diplomats, four particular diplomats, in order to send a clear and proportionate signal to the Russian government about the seriousness of this case," Miliband told parliament.
A Russian Federal Security Service defector, Litvinenko died in a London hospital in November 2006, shortly after meeting with agent-turned-businessman Lugovoi. British experts said they discovered the radioactive isotope Polonium-210 in Litvinenko's body, but have not yet published the official autopsy results.
The new foreign secretary also said negotiations between Russia and the European Union over facilitating the visa regime would be suspended and visa restrictions introduced for Russian officials. A spokesman for the British Embassy in Moscow clarified that the restrictions would not concern tourists or other ordinary citizens.
The Russian Foreign Ministry described Miliband's announcement as "a carefully choreographed action" that would inflict serious damage to bilateral relations.
Early last week, British prosecutors said they had received Russia's official refusal to extradite Lugovoi, which cited the Russian Constitution as saying Russian citizens could not be handed over to other countries, and proposed trying Lugovoi in Russia if Britain provides sufficient evidence.
However, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the country's authorities could not be sure a Russian trial would be unbiased.
In a deathbed note, purportedly written by Litvinenko, who received British citizenship shortly before his death, he blamed President Vladimir Putin for his poisoning, an allegation the Kremlin dismissed.
In his address to parliament, Miliband also urged Russia to consider changing its Constitution to make international legal cooperation more efficient, including in the extradition of criminal suspects.
Russia, in turn, wants Britain to extradite two of its own suspects, fugitive tycoon Boris Berezovsky and Chechen emissary Akhmed Zakayev. Berezovsky is accused of fraud and a coup attempt, while Zakayev is facing terrorism charges. Both have been granted British passports.
Russian diplomatic spokesman Kamynin said: "We have the impression that British authorities are trying to justify their refusal to cooperate with Russian law enforcement officials on the extradition of Zakayev and Berezovsky, against whom we have undeniable evidence of terrorism."
