Russia hopes U.K. will take steps to improve ties at G8

MOSCOW, July 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russia hopes Britain will show willingness to improve bilateral ties during the G8 summit starting Monday in Japan, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. Leaders from the Group of Eight major industrialized powers will meet for three days in Hokkaido, northern Japan, for talks focusing on climate change, sustainable energy, food security and African development. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is due to hold a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the sidelines of the summit. "We hope Britain will signal its willingness to improve relations with Russia," the diplomat told the press. Relations between London and Moscow have deteriorated since the dispute over Russian businessman and MP Andrei Lugovoi, British police's chief suspect in the case of... [read full story]