Belarus MFA comments on Ryanair incident: actions of Belarus authorities in tune with international rules

<p> MINSK, May 24 - PrimePress. The actions by the Belarusian authorities in the Ryanair jet incident complied with international norms, and Minsk is ready to receive experts to eliminate insinuations, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Anatoliy Glaz told RIA Novosti. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, on 23 May, a Ryanair airline passenger aircraft flying from Athens to Vilnius made an emergency landing at Minsk National Airport after receiving information about an explosive device on board (the bomb report was not confirmed). While performing the manoeuvre, the Ryanair passenger jet was escorted by a Belarus Air Force MIG-29 fighter. Belarusian blogger and activist Roman Protasevich was on board the Ryanair plane and was detained. He is charged under three articles of the Criminal Code of Belarus and is on the international wanted list. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Glaz pointed out that Belarus had always followed international rules. “This is recognized by the international aviation regulators. Moreover, we stand ready to guarantee full transparency and, if necessary, to receive experts and show all the materials in order to exclude any insinuations,” Prime reports citing Glaz as saying. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “There is no doubt that the actions of our appropriate authorities also fully complied with the established international rules,” Glaz said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In his words, the hastiness of the belligerent rhetoric from a number of countries and European structures is astonishing. “The situation is being directly and clearly escalated. The situation is deliberately politicized, with unsupported accusations and name-calling,” the spokesman said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In his words, there is no visible willingness to deal with the situation objectively. “Instead, once again we hear slogans about sanctions,” Anatoly Glaz said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “We are sorry that the passengers of the flight faced certain inconveniences. But the aviation safety rules are an absolute priority, everywhere and for everyone. In this regard, the actions of the aircraft crew responsible for the lives of its passengers were fully justified. It is from this point of view, from the point of view of safety and security, which has been fully ensured by joint efforts, that we need to look at this incident first and foremost," said Glaz. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “We still urge those who have fallen for this vicious practice to remember about the rules and passenger safety, to analyze everything calmly and wait for the findings of professional experts. After all, it is only on their basis that we can draw noteworthy conclusions,” Glaz said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> CEO of the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair Michael O’Leary says the forced diversion of a Ryanair flight to Belarus was a “state-sponsored hijacking”. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Speaking on air of the NewsTalk radio, O’Leary would refer to the incident as “a case of state-sponsored hijacking… state-sponsored piracy”. At the same time, he admitted that he could not discuss the details of the incident because the EU authorities and NATO are dealing with it at the moment. End </p>

2021-05-25

Primepress