Medvedev says Russian-British relations successful

TOYAKO, July 8 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that despite problems in the Russian-British relations, the twocountries' interaction in the economic sphere is developing successfully.

"If you talk about the trade and economic sphere and of development of investment, everything is good," he said at his meeting with British PrimeMinister Gordon Brown.

"Despite a certain amount of problems that have piled up in our relations, this circumstance shows what potential our relations have",Medvedev said.

In particular, British investment in Russia "has increased almost twofold as against the last year", even though British investment in theRussian economy was significant in 2007 too.

Medvedev said he was glad to make an acquaintance with the British prime minister and proposed to him to "exchange impressions aboutdevelopment of the bilateral relations".

The Russian president also said he was ready to discuss "all problemsand issues that relate us".

Brown said Russia and Britain are working together with othercountries on Middle East settlement and the "Iranian situation".

He also cited a number of a global scale - credits, financial crises, the food situation in the world and the change of climate that he saidshould be discussed together.

The British prime minister congratulated Medvedev on his debut at theG8 summit, adding that he was to the summit for the first time too.