UK PRIME MINISTER David Cameron is in Russia today for talks aimed at rebuilding relations between the two countries.

It is the first official visit by a British leader to Moscow since 2005. He will meet with both President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

In a speech at the Moscow State University, Cameron said that although the relationship between Britain and Russia has improved since the Cold War, there remains the “strong sense” that they are still competitors.

“We both want prosperity and security but we often behave as if we think we have to compete with each other to achieve them,” he told a group of students at the university.

The British PM made the case that both countries will be stronger together given that Russia is “resource rich and services light” – the opposite of Britain.

“I accept that Britain and Russia have had a difficult relationship for some time. And we should be candid about the areas where we still disagree. But I want to make the case for a new approach based on co-operation.”

Although today’s talks will concentrate on trade and business links, Cameron also commented on terrorism in both countries. He said Russia and Britain should unite against threats and the warped ideology that underpins them.

Difficult visit

The BBC reports that relations between the two countries have been particularly strained since the murder of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. The well-known critic of the Kremlin was fatally poisoned in November 2006 and Russian authorities then refused to extradite the prime suspect, Andrei Lugovoi, to London. He is now a member of Parliament in Moscow.

Given the history, Cameron’s visit to Moscow is a difficult one and is unlikely to result in any dramatic step forward, according to Sky News.

A letter written by a group of former foreign secretaries putting pressure on Cameron to bring up the Lugovoi issue was published in yesterday’s Sunday Times.

The four ex-foreign secretaries also urged Cameron to address the problems faced by British businesses in Russia. For the trip, the Prime Minister is joined by 24 senior company executives, including BP’s chairman Bob Dudley.