Russia to meet Britain halfway over poisoning row

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he was prepared to compromise to resolve a row with Britain over a murdered Kremlin critic, but he expects Prime MInister Gordon Brown to do the same when the two men meet next week.

Russia and Britain have vibrant economic links but diplomatic ties were brought to a post-Cold War low after Moscow refused to extradite the man British police suspect of killing Russian emigre Alexander Litvinenko in London two years ago.

Medvedev is expected to have talks next week with Brown on the sidelines of a Group of Eight summit on the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

"Of course, Russia is prepared to give some ground, but we expect corresponding steps from our British partners," Medvedev said in an interview with media outlets from G8 countries, a transcript of which was published on Thursday on the Kremlin's Internet site, www.kremlin.ru.

"On those issues where we have differences or some kinds of problems, I believe we must simply discuss them eye to eye," Medvedev said.

"Russia-Britain relations go back centuries. I will say frankly: we have had situations before now that were tougher than this," he said without elaborating on what possible compromise he would consider.

Russia has angered Britain by refusing to extradite Andrei Lugovoy. He is Britain's chief suspect in the 2006 murder of Litvinenko, a former Russian security agent who was poisoned with a radioactive isotope.

Britain last year expelled four Russian diplomats over the affair. Russia threw out the same number of British diplomats in response and forced the British government's cultural arm to close its offices in two Russian cities.