Vienna Expresses Hope For Cooperation With Moscow On Probe Into Alleged Espionage

Vienna hopes to cooperate with Moscow on the investigation into the case of the Austrian ex-colonel suspected of spying in favor of Russia, Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl said on Saturdfay.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th November, 2018) Vienna hopes to cooperate with Moscow on the investigation into the case of the Austrian ex-colonel suspected of spying in favor of Russia, Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl said on Saturdfay.

Earlier in the day, Kneissl held phone talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the relations between Moscow and Vienna amid the recent spy scandal.

"We expect full cooperation with the Russian side in the investigation of the case," Kneissl said on the results of the phone talks with her Russian counterpart, as quoted by the APA news agency.

On Friday, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz confirmed that a retired Austrian colonel was suspected of espionage for Moscow and demanded that the Russian side provided "transparent" information on the matter.

Moscow in response expressed protest to Austrian Ambassador to Russia Johannes Aigner over the accusations. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Vienna's steps were based on suspicions without evidence, adding that Austria's statements over the spy scandal had already complicated bilateral relations.