MOSCOW, August 7 (Itar-Tass) - The Kremlin is disappointed with the U.S. Administration’s decision to postpone President Barack Obama’s visit to Moscow, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists.
“We’re disappointed with the U.S. Administration’s decision,” Ushakov said, adding, “It’s clear that the decision is linked to the situation around former CIA contractor Edward Snowden.”
“This situation illustrates that the U.S. is not ready to build equal relations with Russia. Throughout many years Americans declined to signextraditionagreements. They refuted our proposal to extradite people referring to the lack of such agreement,” Ushakov said.
“The U.S. president was invited to visit Russia. The invitation remains in force. We’re ready to further work with American partners on key bilateral and international issues,” he said.
Earlier, the U.S. Administration said President Obama had decided to postpone the visit to Moscow slated for September 3-4 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin due to the lack of progress in bilateral issues.
In addition, the U.S. Administration reported that Obama was expected to take part in the G20 summit in St Petersburg on September 5-6.
Visits were postponed throughout previous years as well. In May 2012 Putin, who recently assumed office, could not visit United States for the G8 summit claiming he was busy with forming the government. Prime MinisterDmitry Medvedev attended the summit instead Vladimir Putin.
Obama was also forced to give up his trip to Vladivostok to attend the APEC summit in September 2012 due to his election campaign in the United States.
Turbulent history of Russian-American relations includes dramatic events of March 1999, when Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, who left for the U.S., was forced to return in protest against the NATO operation in Yugoslavia.