Top Russian space officials refused US visas finally able to leave

MOSCOW (AFP) Jul 25, 2003
Two high-ranking Russian space officials who had been refused US entry visas on the eve of their departure were able to leave Friday for a conference of space agency chiefs involved in the International Space Station (ISS) project.

The issue of the visas "has been sorted out," the Russian Space Agency's press service said, quoted by the ITAR-TASS news agency.

Agency spokesman Sergei Gorbunov told AFP on Thursday that Alexander Medvedchikov and Alexei Krasnov, two high-ranking space officials, had been refused visas to attend the conference in Monterey, California.

"It is not the first time that such a thing has happened," the spokesman complained.

Russia is a key partner along with the United States, European Union, Canada and Japan in the ISS project.

Following the February 1 US shuttle disaster, Russian craft provide the only link to the station.

SPACE.WIRE