MOSCOW, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Scotland Yard's investigation into the death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko in Russia was in no way affecting Russian-British relations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

    "The inquiry by Scotland Yard is not affecting our political relations," Lavrov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

    The foreign minister, however, declined to comment on London's position on the issue and asked people not to politicize the case."I cannot speak for Britain," he said.

    "Attempts to spark a publicity campaign around this case and toturn it into a political sensation have been bogged down, including attempts by serious British media outlets," the minister added.

    Lavrov said Russia had "expressed its readiness to help the investigators and was still committed to contributing to the investigation."

    The Scotland Yard officers arrived in Moscow on Monday to speak to several people who met Litvinenko around the time of his alleged poisoning in early November.

    Litvinenko died of radioactive poisoning late last month in London. Experts investigating his death have found radiation traces at a dozen locations and on two British Airways planes that flew the Moscow-London route.

    Litvinenko, who was a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused the Kremlin of orchestrating his poisoning just before his death. Moscow vehemently denies the charge.

    The former agent, who had been arrested several times, fled to Britain with his wife and son in November 2000 and was granted asylum. He became a British citizen last month.