"International relations" were a factor in the Government's decision not to hold a public inquiry into the death of poisoned spy Alexander Litvinenko, the Home Secretary has admitted.
Coroner Sir Robert Owen had requested that ministers order the inquiry because he could not consider vital secret evidence as part of a normal inquest.
However, the Government refused the request and Theresa May has now disclosed the reasons in a letter to Sir Robert.
She admitted: "It is true that international relations have been a factor in the Government's decision-making.
"An inquest managed and run by an independent coroner is more readily explainable to some of our foreign partners, and the integrity of the process more readily grasped, than an inquiry, established by the Government, under a chairman appointed by the Government, which has the power to see Government material potentially relevant to their interests, in secret.
"However this has not been a decisive factor and it if had stood alone would not have led the Government to refuse an inquiry."
Marina Litvinenko was "disappointed" by the Government's decision Mr Litvinenko's widow Marina has said she and her legal team were "shocked and disappointed" by the Government's refusal to hold an inquiry.
In her letter, Mrs May also said the Government was anxious that Mr Litvinenko's death was properly investigated, and accepted there were "important factors" in favour of establishing an inquiry.
She wrote: "May I begin by assuring you that the Government shares your concern to make certain that the tragic death of Mr Litvinenko is properly investigated.
"Like you, the Government is anxious that as much as possible of the investigation is conducted in public, and in such a way that Mr Litvinenko's family are as closely involved in the process as is consistent with the public interest."
Mr Litvinenko, 43, was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 while drinking tea at the Millennium Hotel in London's Grosvenor Square in 2006.
Since his death his widow and son Anatoly have battled to discover the truth about what led to his killing.
Andrei Lugovoy, ex KGB, suspected of playing a part in Litvinenko death Mrs May told Sir Robert the inquest will be able to address key concerns.
"It is the view of the Government that, despite the serious concerns you express, an inquest will go a substantial way to addressing or allaying public concern about this incident," she said.
Any secret evidence presented during a public inquiry would have to be held in closed session and would remain private, she said.
Sir Robert, who is considering the points in Mrs May's letter, had ruled in May that he could not hear evidence linked to the alleged involvement of the Russian state in Mr Litvinenko's death, or whether his killing could have been prevented, in public.
He said that excluding key evidence on the issue of Russian involvement would cause him "grave concern".
Mr Litvinenko's family believe he was working for MI6 at the time of his death and was killed on the orders of the Kremlin.
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