MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. Russia believes the issue of exchanging Russian national Viktor Bout, who is serving time in a US prison on charges of arms trafficking, for a US citizen will have a positive outcome, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Friday.

"Americans are demonstrating some outward activity. We are engaged professionally through a specially designated channel. We haven’t reached a common denominator yet. But it’s beyond doubt that Viktor Bout is one of those that are being discussed and we certainly hope for a positive outcome," he said in response to a question from TASS whether chances to swap Bout for a US national still existed.

Moscow hopes the prospect not only remains possible but is getting stronger "and the time will come when the prospect will become a concrete agreement," Ryabkov said.

"We wish him the tenacity and strength to overcome the ordeal that befell him as part of the US prosecution," the diplomat said.

Viktor Bout was detained in Thailand’s capital Bangkok in 2008 on the basis of a warrant issued by a local court at the US request. He was charged with illegal supplies of weapons to the rebel group called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the US. Bout was extradited to the United States two years later. In April 2012, he was sentenced to 25 years in jail and a fine of $15 million.