GORKI-8/LONDON, July 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia considers the Alexander Litvinenko murder case a purely criminal matter that should not involve the U.K. Foreign Office, Russia's foreign minister said Thursday.
The Times reported Wednesday that the Foreign Office planned to present a report on Russia's decision to parliament next week, which could include proposals to curb cooperation with Moscow in education, social affairs, trade and counterterrorism.
"I was surprised to read that the Foreign Office is dealing with the case of [key murder suspect Andrei] Lugovoi. It always seemed to me, and the British side confirmed this, that the case is a criminal matter and should be considered by relevant bodies," Sergei Lavrov told journalists.
He warned the U.K. Government against politicizing the matter. "Plans to politicize the issue and prepare some blueprint for the British authorities to damage relations with Russia - well, I have read all this, but I would not like to believe it," he said.
"If reports that Foreign Office is handling this matter are confirmed, this means that the case has become political. We do not want it to be considered as a political matter," Lavrov said.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, The Times diplomatic editor and former Moscow correspondent Michael Binyon said the possible shutdown of cultural and educational programs was the most likely "punitive measure" to be taken by the U.K. government in response to Russia's refusal to extradite agent-turned-businessman Lugovoi.
Binyon said that although this may imply reduced funding for the British Council and the BBC's activities in Russia, he doubted the government would curb counterterrorism cooperation or start "tit-for-tat" diplomatic expulsions predicted by media, especially given the importance of Russia's cooperation on Kosovo and Iran at the United Nations.
Moscow has refused to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, a former Kremlin bodyguard, to stand trial for poisoning Litvinenko with a radioactive substance in London last year, saying extraditing Russian nationals runs counter to the Russian Constitution.
The Daily Telegraph said Thursday citing a former diplomat "familiar with Russia" as saying that it was "entirely likely" that London could expel a "handful" of middle- and lower-ranking Russian diplomats.
The paper said British officials were bracing themselves for the expulsion of British diplomats from Moscow in response.
Litvinenko died last November, aged 44, three weeks after being poisoned at London's Millennium Hotel, presumably with radioactive polonium-210, weeks after receiving British citizenship. U.K. authorities have yet to present his official death certificate.
Lugovoi, who met with Litvinenko on the day of his poisoning, has denied responsibility and claimed in May that he had evidence linking Britain's MI6 to the murder of Litvinenko and his employer, fugitive Russian tycoon and Putin critic Boris Berezovsky, who he said were MI6 agents.
