World Bulletin / News Desk 

Anatoly Kucherena, a Russian lawyer for Edward Snowden said on Tuesday the fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor who leaked details of the government's mass surveillance programmes was working with American and German lawyers to return home.

Snowden's lawyer, who has links to the Kremlin, was speaking at a news conference "I won't keep it secret that he... wants to return back home. And we are doing everything possible now to solve this issue. There is a group of U.S. lawyers, there is also a group of German lawyers and I'm dealing with it on the Russian side."

In Washington, U.S. officials said they would welcome Snowden's return to the United States but he would have to face criminal charges which have been filed against him.

The United States wants Snowden to stand trial for leaking extensive secrets of electronic surveillance programmes by the National Security Agency (NSA). Russia has repeatedly refused to extradite him.

Snowden has said in the past he would like to return home if he was assured he would be given a fair trial..