UK seeks to improve trade ties with Moscow

Britain`s new Business Secretary Lord Mandelson was leading a trade delegation to Russia in an attempt to improve trade relations between the two countries. His visit to Moscow, the first by a British cabinet minister in over 18 months, comes as European Union governments are reportedly split over how far, and how quickly, to restore the relations with Russia to normal after Russia's invasion of Georgia in August. During the four-day visit, Mandelson is due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, although the main aim of the delegation was said to relaunch a UK-Russian steering committee to drive bilateral trade and investment. But the Financial Times said the visit was seen in London and Moscow as the first significant attempt to smooth bilateral ties since the two countries became embroiled in a dispute over the... [read full story]