Translated material
Doors open
London wants to improve relations with Moscow
“The new British government would very much like to improve relations with Russia,” British diplomatic chief William Hague said yesterday. Speaking at a press conference in London, he emphasized that back in January, as Foreign Minister in the shadow cabinet, he traveled to Moscow and met with Sergei Lavrov. “We had a good conversation,” Haig noted, “from which we can conclude that Russia is also not satisfied with the current state of affairs and would like to improve relations between our countries.”Hague added that "there are some difficult issues between the UK and Russia, such as the Litvinenko case." However, in his opinion, they can be resolved during bilateral negotiations: “I would not like to preface the agenda for future negotiations, but it seems to me that now there is a fairly positive atmosphere between the parties, which is necessary for their success.”
Delivering his first keynote speech on international issues in the new House of Commons yesterday, Haig said that “the new UK government is opening the door to dialogue on controversial issues with Russia and hopes that this invitation will be accepted.” The government led by Conservative leader David Cameron was formed in mid-May.
Haig explained that “a state of constant confrontation is not in the interests of either Britain or Russia.” According to him, “to significantly improve relations, significant efforts are needed on both sides. On the British side, the door to improved relations is open. We hope that this invitation will be accepted by Russia.”
British experts note that David Cameron's government has a chance to end the conflict with Moscow and, following the example of other European countries, begin to build friendly relations. The positive tone of Haig's statements shows that the new coalition government is committed to developing cooperation with Russia.
However, the warming of British-Russian relations cannot yet be considered a foregone conclusion. Alex Nice, coordinator of the Russian and Eurasian Studies program at Chatham House (also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs), told Vremya Novostei: “The main irritant in relations between Russia and the UK has not disappeared with the advent of the new government. This irritant is Litvinenko’s business.” Whoever is in power in London must respect the decisions of the independent British judiciary. “Since the court does not change its conclusions in this case, any British government will seek Lugovoi’s extradition. If in Russia a “reset” of relations with Great Britain is understood as London’s refusal to extradite the main defendant in the Litvinenko poisoning case, this, it seems to me, is a misconception,” our interlocutor emphasized. Alex Nice believes that to restore friendly relations between the two countries, the good will of both London and Moscow is necessary.
According to the expert, the two countries have great mutual economic interests, and there is no doubt that the new government will contribute to their development: “However, I doubt that this will lead to strengthening personal contacts between the leaders of Russia and Great Britain.” The expert recalled that Tory leader David Cameron in August 2008, after the military conflict over South Ossetia, found it necessary to fly to Tbilisi. There, the current British Prime Minister said: “It is important that one of the oldest democracies in the world stands next to one of the youngest at a time when its territory is illegally invaded by another country. We have come here to express support for Georgia, its independence and dignity on behalf of the British people, government and opposition.”
Relations between Great Britain and Russia noticeably deteriorated due to the poisoning in London of former Russian FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko, who died in November 2006. The Crown Prosecution Service has accused Russian Andrei Lugovoy of poisoning Litvinenko with radioactive polonium. In 2007, Great Britain demanded the extradition of Lugovoi, but was refused by Russia. The atmosphere of relations between the two countries was complicated by the claims of the Russian tax authorities to the activities of the British Council in Russia, as well as the negative British assessment of Russia’s actions during the conflict around South Ossetia. As a result, contacts between the two states have noticeably decreased, and Britain has suspended cooperation with Russia in the fight against terrorism, work to ease the visa regime and on an agreement on cultural centers. Nevertheless, the two countries actively cooperate on key international issues - for example, in the field of nuclear weapons reduction.
William Hague is 49 years old. He was born in the town of Rotherham in Yorkshire, where his father owned a small soft drinks factory. While still at school, the young man became interested in politics; at the age of 16, he spoke at the Conservative Party convention, where he was noticed by the future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. While studying at Oxford University, Haig was elected head of the Conservative Students' Association and later president of the Oxford Students' Union. These public positions are considered a direct route into British politics.
At the age of 26, Haig first stood for parliament, but was defeated. The second attempt two years later was successful. He was an undersecretary in John Major's Conservative government until he became Welsh Secretary in 1995.
In 1997, following the Tories' heavy election defeat, Haig was elected head of the Conservative Party. Four years later, having failed to lead his party to victory in the next elections, he resigned and took up business and literary work. He has published two biographical books about 18th-century British politicians, Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger, and anti-slavery parliamentarian William Wilberforce. In 2005, David Cameron, who was elected as the new Conservative leader, returned Haig to the shadow cabinet and entrusted him with the portfolio of opposition foreign secretary.