United States specialists contacted Russia’s Foreign Ministry

United States specialists had been in contact with Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs since October 2, according to a later report carried by Interfax citing CNN, the United States Cable News Network. The original source was an unnamed United States Department of State official.

This is a retrospective date: the report itself became public later. This investigation has not obtained a record of the discussions, the names of all participants, exact contact times or the information exchanged.

The reported contacts do not confirm acceptance of United States assistance or admission of foreign specialists to the institute. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s call for greater transparency was a separate public statement.