Canada expels a Russian trying to buy high tech

Canada expelled a Soviet diplomat for attempting to buy restricted high-technology products. Mikhail Abramov, a trade representative in the Soviet commercial office, was given 10 days to leave the country, after Canadian officials charged he offered large sums of money to buy and illegally export products including fiber optic communications equipment. The Soviet Embassy issued a statement calling the charges absurd.

Mr. Abramov was the 17th Soviet diplomat asked to leave the country in three expulsion incidents over the past four years. Several other countries, including Egypt, Britain, Portugal, Indonesia, and the United States, have taken similar action in recent months for various reasons.