DATE=12/10/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA / U-S SPY (S ONLY)
NUMBER=2-257039
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:


INTRO:  Russia is stepping up its criticism of the 
United States over the U-S expulsion of a Russian 
diplomat from Washington on spying charges.  V-O-A 
Moscow correspondent Eve Conant reports Russia calls 
the expulsion an unjustified "tit-for-tat" response to 
Russia's expulsion of a U-S diplomat from Moscow.

TEXT:  Russian officials summoned U-S Ambassador James 
Collins to the foreign ministry to hear a formal 
protest against Washington's expulsion of Russian 
diplomat Stanislav Gusev.

U-S officials say Mr. Gusev was detained by the F-B-I 
after trying to listen to a bugging device placed in 
the State Department.

Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement accusing 
U-S authorities of violating the Vienna Convention on 
diplomatic relations.  It called the move a tit-for-
tat response to the expulsion on spying charges of U-S 
embassy diplomat Cheri Leberknight, who left Moscow 
early Friday.

The Foreign Ministry statement said the United States 
- in its words - "should realize that the practice of 
retaliatory strikes is at a dead end."  And it said 
its actions had "serious consequences" for relations 
between the two countries. (Signed)

NEB/EC/JWH/



10-Dec-1999 13:05 PM EDT (10-Dec-1999 1805 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.