Could this be a sign of more things to come involving cooperation between the U.S. and Russia?
Mark Franchetti
Sunday Times
MOSCOW — FIVE years after the high-profile murder in Moscow of American magazine editor Paul Klebnikov, Russian authorities have agreed to co-operate with US investigators and grant the FBI access to the investigation.
The unprecedented concession was made in the wake of US President Barack Obama’s visit to Russia last week, a summit that was billed as an opportunity to “reset” strained relations between the two countries.
Ever since Klebnikov, an American of Russian descent who moved to Moscow to launch the local edition of US business magazine, Forbes, was gunned down outside his office in July 2004, his family has lobbied for the FBI to be allowed to offer its expertise to Russian investigators. Despite Washington’s numerous offers for a joint inquiry, the Russians consistently refused to co-operate.
After a five-year investigation, and a botched trial in which two suspects were acquitted, the Russians told Klebnikov’s family last week that they had closed the murder case.
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