China News Agency, Moscow, February 28 (Reporter Tian Bing) The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency reported on the 28th that in response to the closure of the airspace of Russian airlines in Europe and other countries, Russia has responded to Germany, Spain, Italy, France, etc. 36 countries and territories closed their airspace.
According to the circular, “in accordance with the norms of international law, in response to the European countries issuing a no-fly order on civil flights operated by Aeroflot and/or registered in Russia, restrictions on the flight operations of airlines from the following 36 countries are imposed. These National flights must be operated under a special license issued by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency or the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
In addition to the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Estonia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Poland, which Russia has previously announced to close its airspace, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and Canada have been added to the latest prohibited flight list. 27 countries and regions.
Due to the deterioration of the situation in Ukraine, the United Kingdom took the lead in closing its airspace to Russian civil aviation flights on the evening of the 25th.
On the 27th, the foreign ministers of the 27 EU approved the complete closure of the airspace against Russia.
Canada also announced the closure of its airspace to Russian planes.
According to the TASS news agency on the 28th, citing diplomatic sources, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's planned trip to Geneva to attend the UN Human Rights Council meeting and the disarmament conference was cancelled due to the closure of the airspace of the EU countries to Russia.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke to EU leadership twice on Sunday to try to resolve the issue of the Russian delegation being unable to travel to Geneva for an international conference due to the closure of EU airspace, a spokesman for the UN office in Geneva told TASS news agency.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova said on the 27th that due to EU restrictions, the United Nations cannot guarantee the entry of a Russian diplomatic delegation led by Lavrov into Geneva to participate in the UN Human Rights Council and disarmament conferences.
Zakharova announced at a press conference on the 25th that Lavrov will participate in the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to be held in Geneva from February 28 to March 1.
Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said in response to a media question on whether EU sanctions prevented the Russian foreign minister from visiting Geneva on the 28th that the EU has not yet reached the point where the Russian foreign minister is prohibited from conducting diplomatic travel. "For diplomatic reasons, sanctions allow Exceptions. We are not at the point where Lavrov's diplomatic travel is banned." (End)