Moscow/London, 20 October: The cooperation between UK and Russian investigators on the case of poisoning Aleksandr Litvinenko, a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), may be resumed in the near future, Interfax news agency has been told.

The British officials have forwarded to Moscow an official request for additional investigative measures to be taken in regard of Andrey Lugovoy, the main suspect in the inquest opened by the UK authorities who is now running for the State Duma, informed sources in Moscow and London said.

"Among other things, the UK officials are asking for legal assistance needed to secure some evidence of Lugovoy's involvement in the poisoning of Litvinenko and his guilt," Interfax was told by one of the sources.

The source said that the British investigators expected their Russian counterparts to respond to the request in spite of certain problems complicating the investigation of the controversial case. Thus, the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office had earlier denounced their British colleagues' alleged lack of will to cooperate in the investigation of the case and carry out some investigative activities on the UK territory which had been requested by the Russian officials.

Officials from the UK embassy in Moscow told Interfax they had no information that the cooperation on the Litvinenko case may have resumed. The Russian Prosecutor-General's Office would not comment on the information either.