CIA ‘spy row’ won’t affect ties with US: Russian senator
17 May 2013 7:22 AM IST
The detention of an alleged CIA agent in Moscow by Russian counter-intelligence will not threaten relations between Russia and the US, ‘the world’s two largest nuclear superpowers’, a Russian senator said.
Andrei Klimov, deputy chairman of the Russian upper house Federation Council’s foreign affairs committee, said that although the incident does not ‘embellish’ US-Russian relations, ‘such events cannot badly affect’ bilateral ties. ‘Such events certainly should not affect the top-level agreements on serious issues: the situation in Syria, the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan and rearmament,’ Klimov said.
Russia and the US have a ‘strategic relationship’ he said, adding the two nations relations had weathered a number of more ‘serious’ cases before.
‘The work of special services has never triggered positive emotions,’ he added.
On Tuesday, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said Ryan Christopher Fogle, a US diplomat working as a third secretary in the embassy’s political department, was detained May 13 as he attempted to recruit an officer from one of Russia’s special services. The officer concerned was involved in counterterrorism in the volatile North Caucasus, media reports said. Fogle allegedly offered the Russian officer up to $1 million a year for ‘long-term cooperation.’
Andrei Klimov, deputy chairman of the Russian upper house Federation Council’s foreign affairs committee, said that although the incident does not ‘embellish’ US-Russian relations, ‘such events cannot badly affect’ bilateral ties. ‘Such events certainly should not affect the top-level agreements on serious issues: the situation in Syria, the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan and rearmament,’ Klimov said.
Russia and the US have a ‘strategic relationship’ he said, adding the two nations relations had weathered a number of more ‘serious’ cases before.
‘The work of special services has never triggered positive emotions,’ he added.
On Tuesday, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said Ryan Christopher Fogle, a US diplomat working as a third secretary in the embassy’s political department, was detained May 13 as he attempted to recruit an officer from one of Russia’s special services. The officer concerned was involved in counterterrorism in the volatile North Caucasus, media reports said. Fogle allegedly offered the Russian officer up to $1 million a year for ‘long-term cooperation.’
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