The US remains committed to positive ties with Russia, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has insisted, days after the arrest of 10 alleged spies.
The suspects are said to have served Moscow while living in the US.
Amid fears the scandal could cool the warming ties between Moscow and Washington, Ms Clinton insisted the future was positive.
"We're committed to building a new and positive relation with Russia," she said during a visit to Ukraine.
"We're looking toward the future," she added.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on a ''resetting of relations with Russia''
The suspects are accused of conspiracy to act as unlawful agents of a foreign government, a crime less serious than espionage but which carries up to five years in prison.
Three of them were due to appear at a bail hearing in Virginia later on Friday.
On Thursday, journalist Vicky Pelaez was granted bail in New York after the judge said she was a US citizen and did not appear to have been trained as a spy.
However, the judge ordered that she should not be freed before Tuesday, allowing time for a possible appeal by prosecutors. She will remain under house arrest under a $250,000 (£165,000) bond and will be electronically monitored.
SPY RING SUSPECTS
Continue reading the main story- Vicky Pelaez - granted bail in New York
- Juan Lazaro (husband of Ms Pelaez) - bail hearing postponed
- Anna Chapman, Richard and Cynthia Murphy - denied bail in New York
- Donald Howard Heathfield, Tracey Lee Ann Foley - hearing adjourned until 16 July in Boston
- Michael Zottoli, Patricia Mills, Mikhail Semenko - hearing due 2 July in Virginia
- Christopher Metsos - missing after being granted bail in Cyprus
Her husband, who goes under the name Juan Lazaro, is said to have admitted to prosecutors that he works for Russia's intelligence service.
Five other suspects remain in custody in the US.
An 11th man, who went on the run in Cyprus on Wednesday after skipping bail, is believed to have fled the island, the Associated Press news agency quoted the Cypriot justice minister as saying.
Christopher Metsos, suspected of being the group's paymaster, was now unlikely to be caught, said Lucas Luca.
Earlier the US embassy denied local media reports that Mr Metsos was being held at its compound.
'Femme fatale'
In the UK, a man has described how he was married to one of the suspects, Anna Chapman.
Alex Chapman was quoted as saying that Ms Chapman had admitted that her father had once been a senior officer in the KGB.
He told the Daily Telegraph newspaper he had met Ms Chapman at a London party and married her five months later in 2002.
Ms Chapman, 28, has been painted as the femme fatale of the alleged spy ring, with several glamorous photos posted on her page on Facebook.
The US says its investigation into the alleged spy ring has lasted more than a decade.
Moscow initially reacted angrily to the claims but has subsequently said the affair will not harm rela
source
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10492491.stm
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق