MOSCOW. Jan 21 (Interfax-AVN) - The chief of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service's press center has denied an allegation made by The New York Times that Russia's intelligence service has struck a deal with the CIA to keep track of North Korea's nuclear program.
"The information published by The New York Times on January 20 alleging certain cooperation between the CIA and the Foreign Intelligence Service aimed against North Korea is inconsistent with reality," Boris Labusov told Interfax on Tuesday.
"Citing U.S. intelligence sources, The New York Times claimed that in the early 1990s, the Foreign Intelligence Service and the U.S. CIA struck a deal and installed equipment in the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang to follow North Korea's nuclear program. According to the U.S. newspaper, the data collected was transferred to the CIA," he said.
Labusov stressed that Russia's "position is that certain U.S. officials fabricated this publication on purpose, when Russia is working vigorously to help reduce tensions around the North Korean nuclear program."
Alexander Losyukov, Russia's deputy foreign minister and presidential special envoy, is currently on a visit to Pyongyang.