Russia set to respond to British expulsion move

MOSCOW, July 17 (Reuters) Russia was set to respond today to Britain's decision to expel four of its diplomats in a row over the murder of a Russian emigre amid signs Moscow did not want the affair to rebound on booming economic ties.

Britain said on Monday it would expel four Russian diplomats and halt cooperation in easing visa regulations because of Moscow's refusal to extradite the prime suspect in the radiation poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in London in November.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has described London's actions as ''immoral'' and ''provocative'' and said it will respond appropriately. ''A high-level official will make a statement at 5:30 pm (1900 IST),'' a ministry spokesman said today.

However, Interfax news agency quoted an ''informed source'' in Moscow as saying Russia would not act until Britain carried out its threatened expulsions. ''Until then, it will be all words,'' the source said.

Interfax also quoted a Russian embassy source in London as saying Britain had presented a list of the four diplomats it wanted expelled.

''These diplomats hold middle-ranking positions,'' the source said, adding that London was not insisting they leave in 24 or 48 hours.

Most Russia watchers believe Moscow will match London's actions with its own expulsions or another political step. But the big question was whether the Kremlin might also hit back at British business interests in Russia.

Russia's powerful natural resources minister, Yuri Trutnev, said there were no such plans.

''I don't think it makes sense to impose restrictions that would affect the investment climate, because that would be very expensive, including for Britain,'' Russian agencies quoted him as saying.

''We will continue working as usual and don't see any reason to review our approach to foreign investments on the back of recent events,'' Trutnev added.

Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence officer who held British citizenship and who had become a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin's, died an agonising death in a London hospital after being poisoned by highly radioactive polonium.

British prosecutors have accused Russian businessman Andrei Lugovoy -- also a former state security officer -- of carrying out the poisoning and have demanded his extradition to face trial in Britain. Russia has refused, citing a constitutional ban on extraditing its own citizens.

The Russian media described Britain's response as a declaration of diplomatic war.

Commentators accused Britain of double standards for punishing Russia while itself ignoring numerous Russian extradition requests.

''Over the past six years, Moscow has sent Britain 21 extradition requests but not a single suspect has been extradited,'' said the government daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

''The suspects included fraudsters, killers, terrorists, drug dealers and persons involved in especially serious embezzlement of funds. Six of the people mentioned in the requests have been granted political asylum in Britain.'' REUTERS SKB KN1859