  The retarded Green function of the electromagnetic field in spacetime of a
straight thin cosmic string is found. It splits into a geodesic part
(corresponding to the propagation along null rays) and to the field scattered
on the string. With help of the Green function the electric and magnetic fields
of simple sources are constructed. It is shown that these sources are
influenced by the cosmic string through a self-interaction with their field.
The distant field of static sources is studied and it is found that it has a
different multipole structure than in Minkowski spacetime. On the other hand,
the string suppresses the electric and magnetic field of distant sources--the
field is expelled from regions near the string.
