British businesses needs guarantees that assets will not be “unlawfully taken away from them” before they can start work in Russia, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday during a visit to Moscow, RIA-Novosti reports.
“I’ve talked to many British businesses. I have no doubt about their ambition to work in Russia, but it’s also clear that the concerns that continue to make them hold back are real,” Cameron said at a meeting with students of the Moscow State University.
Cameron is accompanied by a large business delegation, including BP head Bob Dudley. BP’s Moscow offices were raided by bailiffs two weeks ago.
Cameron also talked about disagreements still existing between Russian and Great Britain over the death of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenenko in London in 2006: "Our approach is simple and principled. When a crime is committed that is a matter for the courts. It is their job to examine the evidence impartially and to determine innocence or guilt,” he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had suggested before Cameron’s visit that the British prime minister refrain from bringing up the case, which was a major cause in he deterioration of bilateral relations, RIA-Novosti reports.
