Moscow doubts its diplomat’s voluntary defection

Russia insists on a consular meeting with Sergei Tretyakov, Yevgeni Voronin, deputy director of the Foreign Ministry’s information department, said Wednesday. Earlier, US officials told journalists that Mr. Tretyakov, a first secretary at Russia's U.N. mission, had inquired about remaining in the United States and defected last October with his wife, Elena, and other members of his family. According to the Russian side cited by the RIA Novosti news agency, Mr. Tretyakov, a first secretary at Russia's U.N. mission, had under obscure circumstances left his office and disappeared along with his family. Starting from October 2000, the Russian side is reported to have persistently raised the question of the consular meeting with Mr. Tretyakov to make sure he and his family are not pressurized and nothing has happened to them.