London urges Moscow to comply on Litvinenko murder

LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) Britain urged Moscow today to comply with its legal request for a former Russian agent to be extradited to Britain to be charged with the murder of former spy Alexander Litvinenko.

''Russia should comply with our legal request,'' Prime Minister Tony Blair's official spokesman said.

British prosecutors said they wanted Andrei Lugovoy, a former Russian agent, to be extradited as soon as possible.

The spokesman stressed that Britain had important political and economic ties with Russia but said: ''This doesn't in any way obviate the need for the international rule of law to be respected and we will not in any way shy away from trying to ensure that happens in a case such as this.'' REITERS SS L[1651