By Li Hongmei

On Monday White House Spokesperson Jay Carney stated that US President Barack Obama is planning to attend the upcoming G20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia. He said the president's schedule has not changed and includes his trip to the summit in St. Petersburg.

Carney stressed that the G20 summit is an international forum and the United States would discuss international issues there.

He said the United States was still studying the value of the summit and had a number of questions concerning Russia. The spokesperson stressed that the two countries disagree not only over former National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden but also over other issues, including Syria.

Carney said the US would announce its decision shortly.

He said earlier that Obama was not going to cancel his visit to Russia in September.

The journalists asked him whether Obama would only go to the G20 summit in St. Petersburg or would also travel to Moscow as was planned initially.

Carney said he had nothing new to say on this matter and reiterated that the president would go to Russia in September.

Obama will visit Russia in September, National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said.

US Department of State Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said at a press briefing on Thursday, August 1, that the Russian authorities' decision to grant temporary asylum to Snowden was "an extremely disappointing step."

She said the US authorities "continue to press with the Russian Government that Mr. Snowden needs to be returned to the United States where he will face a free and fair trial."

Harf stressed that "this move by the Russian Government undermines a longstanding record of law enforcement cooperation, particularly since the Boston Marathon bombings. So we will continue to make that point with the Russian Government at all points in this process."

She said "Mr. Snowden is wanted on very serious charges and that he needs to be returned to the United States to face those charges."

At the same time, Harf confirmed that there are areas where the two countries work together.

Previously, however, mass media quoted a source in the US Department of State as saying that Obama might cancel the visit if Snowden would still be in Russia by that time.

The Kremlin said that Obama's visit to Russia scheduled for this autumn may begin in Moscow and continue in St. Petersburg where a G20 summit is to be held on September 5-6.

（Editor:吴菁）