State Department says private efforts could complicate release of US detainees from Russia

WASHINGTON, Sep 14 (Reuters) – Efforts by private individuals to mediate the release of Americans held in Russia could complicate steps Washington is taking to bring American detainees home, a State Department spokesman said Wednesday.

The comments by spokesman Ned Price came in response to questions from reporters about a trip this week to Russia by Bill Richardson, a former New Mexico governor who sought the release of American prisoners abroad.

“We want to make sure that any external efforts are fully and transparently coordinated with us,” Price said. “[In] In this case, we believe that any effort outside of this formally assigned channel could complicate the already extremely difficult task we face.”

Reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing Leslie Adler

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