Blair Promises Tough Talk on Litvinenko Case

Tony Blair warned President Putin yesterday that he would see foreign investment in Russia start to dry up unless he made clearer commitments to democracy and human rights.

Mr Blair is due to meet President Putin for a bilateral meeting tomorrow at the G8 summit at which he was promising frank discussions, including on the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, allegedly by the former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi. It will be the first time the men have met since the diplomatic row over the killing.

Mr Blair's aides say he wants to find out whether the issue of Britain's formal request for the extradition of Mr Lugovoi can be resolved in their mutual interest.

The UK's director of public prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, said Mr Lugovoi should be extradited to stand trial for the murder of Mr Litvinenko by "deliberate poisoning". But the Kremlin maintains Russia's constitution does not allow it to hand him over.

Mr Blair is also convinced that President Putin does not understand the purpose of the missile shield being stationed by the US in Poland and the Czech Republic. Britain and the US contend the shield is aimed at rogue states such as Iran.

"We want good relations with Russia, but that can only be done on the basis that there are certain shared principles and shared values," Mr Blair told the House of Commons before departing for the summit.

His aides travelling to Germany pointed out that European companies would simply not be willing to invest in a country that does not operate a clear rule of law. "Companies will only invest in countries where their investment is secure," the prime minister's spokesman said. "Russia needs to reflect the same economic and commercial values as the west and if it does not it will not attract the direct investment it needs and wants."