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Russia receives request from Canada to visit Whelan - Foreign Ministry

On Monday, the Russian Federal Security Service said US citizen Paul Whelan was detained on December 28, 2018, in Moscow while on a spy mission

MOSCOW, January 5./TASS/. Russia has received a request from Canada to visit Paul Whelan, and a meeting will be arranged in working days if he agrees, sources from the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS on Saturday.

"We have received a request to arrange consular access from the Embassy of Canada in Moscow. As we don’t have a respective consular convention with Canada, our commitments as to such visits are regulated by the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," the ministry said.

"In he gives his written consent to this meeting, it will be organized in working days," the ministry said. "We have notified the Embassy of Canada in Moscow," it added.

On Monday, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said US citizen Paul Whelan was detained on December 28, 2018, in Moscow while on a spy mission. A criminal investigation was opened against him on espionage charges carrying a punishment of up to 20 years in jail. US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman visited Whelan at the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center on Wednesday.