A series of countries prevented the plane carrying the Russian Foreign Minister through the airspace, what did Moscow say?

In a statement issued a few hours ago, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the closing of the airspace, preventing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov from visiting Serbia by three eastern European countries a “hostile act”.

Peskov added that the move affects the timetable of high-level diplomatic meetings between the two sides.

“But such hostile acts should not prevent us from maintaining relations with friendly countries like Serbia.” Kremlin spokesman said.

Earlier, Russian media reported that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had to cancel his trip to Serbia on June 6 after some countries around him closed their airspace to the plane carrying him.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also confirmed: “Serbia’s neighbors have closed the only air route for Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s plane to Serbia. The Russian delegation is scheduled to arrive in Belgrade (Serbia) for talks, the EU and NATO member countries have already announced that they will be working in the country.” close their airspace”.

Sheet Vecernje Novosti Serbia earlier reported that the authorities of Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia had banned the plane carrying the Russian foreign minister from flying over their airspace.

As planned, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Serbia on June 6-7. He is scheduled to hold talks with the President, Foreign Minister of Serbia as well as the Speaker of the Parliament of Serbia to discuss political and economic cooperation as well as exchange opinions on the situation in the Balkans and a number of issues. international.

Commenting on the decision of the three eastern European countries, Lavrov described it as an unprecedented move and that Russian officials had not received an explanation from these countries.

“The important thing is that no one can sabotage our relations with Serbia. If the visit of the Russian Foreign Minister to Serbia is seen by the West as a terrible threat, it is clear that the situation in the West is very difficult.“, added Mr. Lavrov.

On the Serbian side, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that the situation surrounding Lavrov’s visit was “very complicated”, that President Aleksandar Vucic had tried to solve the related logistical problems.

Serbia, which maintains close relations with Russia, does not openly take sides in the conflict in Ukraine, nor participates in Western sanctions against Moscow.