Snowden 'safe and fine' after getting permit to enter Russia

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Snowden 'safe and fine' after getting permit to enter Russia

(Xinhua) 21:06, August 02, 2013

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Former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden was safe and felt fine after leaving the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, his lawyer said Friday.

"He has reached his location. He feels fine and is completely safe," Anatoly Kucherena was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.

On Thursday, Snowden was granted an one-year permit to stay in Russia following a month-long confinement in the airport's transit area.

An official invitation will also be sent to Lon Snowden, Edward's father, to come to Moscow, Kucherena said.

"We have prepared almost all the documents. Invitations are to be sent to Lon Snowden and his defense attorney on my behalf to come to Moscow," Kucherena said.

Kucherena said, fro security reasons, the time "has not come yet" to disclose Snowden's location.

Also on Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul met presidential aide Yuri Ushakov to discuss the latest developments in bilateral relations and the status of Snowden, the U.S. diplomatic mission said.

"Michael McFaul and Yuri Ushakov discussed nuclear arms cuts, anti-missile defense, Syria, trade, human rights and the new status of Mr. Snowden," the U.S. Embassy said on its Twitter account.

The White House on Thursday expressed "extreme disappointment" at Russia's decision, saying Washington was "evaluating" a scheduled presidential summit planned for September.

（Editor：LiXiang、Chen Lidan）