Quito: Russia will decide the destination of fugitive US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, who is currently holed up in Moscow, Ecuador President Rafael Correa said today.
"To process the asylum application, (Snowden) must be in Ecuadoran territory," the president said in an interview with the private Oromar channel.
"At this moment, the solution of Snowden's destination is in the hands of Russian authorities."
Snowden, who faces espionage charges in the US over his revelations about a vast US surveillance program, has been in Moscow's international airport since arriving from Hong Kong last Sunday.
The ex-contractor for the National Security Agency, whose passport has been revoked, has requested asylum in Ecuador.
"We have not sought out this situation. Snowden is in contact with (WikiLeaks founder Julian) Assange, who recommended he seek asylum in Ecuador," Correa said. The president said his government would listen to opinions from US authorities, but that the final decision rested with Ecuador.
Earlier, Correa yesterday spoke with US Vice President Joe Biden on the topic, making many of the same points. In his weekly address, Correa said Biden had asked Ecuador to reject the asylum request.
"To process the asylum application, (Snowden) must be in Ecuadoran territory," the president said in an interview with the private Oromar channel.
"At this moment, the solution of Snowden's destination is in the hands of Russian authorities."
The ex-contractor for the National Security Agency, whose passport has been revoked, has requested asylum in Ecuador.
Advertisement
Earlier, Correa yesterday spoke with US Vice President Joe Biden on the topic, making many of the same points. In his weekly address, Correa said Biden had asked Ecuador to reject the asylum request.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
"Stakes Are High, Choice Is Clear": Biden Vows To Stay In Presidential Race Diverted Air India Flight Takes Off For San Francisco Joe Biden Is The Best Person To Take On Trump, Says His Campaign Over 300 Indian Students Return As Quota Row Sparks Violence In Bangladesh "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Full Recovery From Global IT Outage Could Take Time: 10 Points CrowdStrike: All About The Cybersecurity Giant Behind Global IT Outage UP Government Forms Lucknow-SCR On The Lines Of Delhi-NCR The Situation At Delhi, Mumbai Airports Day After Global IT Outage Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.