Russian-British relations have good potential – Dmitry Medvedev

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and British PM David Cameron have pledged to improve relations between the two countries. The first meeting of the leaders took place on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Canada.

Cameron, who took office last month, said the talks provided a real opportunity to put ties between Moscow and London on a new footing.

“We discussed what is happening within the G8 and G20, but what is most important, we discussed the current state of bilateral relations and we agreed that they require some correction,” Medvedev said. “We instructed our foreign ministers to be in contact and to discuss the agenda of our relations.”

Relations have been soured by several issues, including the controversy over the death of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, and the UK’s criticism of Russia after the war in South Ossetia in 2008.