Separability of Mixed States: Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for separability of mixed states. As a result we obtain a simple criterion of separability for $2\times2$ and $2\times3$ systems. Here, the positivity of the partial transposition of a state is necessary and sufficient for its separability. However, it is not the case in general. Some examples of mixtures which demonstrate the utility of the criterion are considered.