ACCESSION
NUMBER:328849
FILE ID:TXT506
DATE:02/25/94
TITLE:SPY-CONNECTED RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT DECLARED PERSONA NON GRATA (02/25/94)
TEXT:*94022506.TXT
SPY-CONNECTED RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT DECLARED PERSONA NON GRATA
(Text: McCurry statement) (465)
Washington -- A counselor in the Russian Embassy, identified as the chief
Russian intelligence official in Washington, has been declared persona non
grata by the United States and has been asked to leave the country within
seven days, the State Department announced.
The United States believes that "this individual was in a position to be
responsible for the activities associated" with the Aldrich Ames espionage
case, "and for that reason, we insisted to the Russian government that he
be held accountable," State Department Spokesman Michael McCurry said.
Following is the text of McCurry's statement:
(begin text)
As you have heard the president say today and the secretary say over the
last two days in congressional testimony, the United States strongly
supports political and economic reform in Russia, and we believe that it is
as important today as it has been for months.
Reform in Russia is in the interests of the United States. It helps lower
the danger posed by nuclear weapons; it helps nurture a transformation in
Russia that will promote democracy, market economics, and peaceful
relations with Russia's neighbors.
But we have said all along that reform will not always be easy. There will
be setbacks along the way. And we know there are forces at work in Russia
1hich are inconsistent with reform. We have to be realistic in our
expectations, steady in our support for reform, and unequivocal in our
opposition to those who are enemies of reform.
In this context of U.S. policy, we take developments like those in
associated with the case of Aldrich Ames very seriously. We have discussed
our concerns directly with the Russian government in recent days. The
secretary himself took the unusual step of calling in the Russian charge to
register our strongest protest.
Today at 1:45 p.m., Jim Collins, our senior coordinator for the newly
independent states, called the Russian Embassy's Charge d'Affaires Vladimir
Chkhikvishivili to the State Department. At this meeting, Mr. Collins
informed the Russian charge that the United States of America has declared
a counselor in the Russian Embassy to be persona non grata. We asked that
this individual leave the United States within seven days. The individual
in question is the chief Russian intelligence official here in Washington,
the so-called resident of the SVRR.
Clearly, the United States believes that this individual was in a position
to be responsible for the activities associated with the Ames espionage
case, and for that reason, we insisted to the Russian government that he be
held accountable.
Mr. Collins indicated today that we do not rule taking additional action
against any other Russian diplomats who are subsequently implicated in the
Ames affair.
(end text)
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