Moscow warns Paris, after French Air Force jet ‘flies dangerously close’ to Russian delegation's plane
A French Air Force jet flew dangerously close to a plane en route to Geneva carrying a Russian diplomatic delegation, including Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin, according to Russia's Foreign Ministry. The incident is said to have taken place over French airspace.
In Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry has already met with the French Ambassador for an explanation of the encounter. Russian officials did not report the incident before summoning France's Ambassador to discuss it.
Update: Paris has denied that its Air Force is responsible for flying near the plane carrying the Russian delegation to Geneva. The French Foreign Ministry told Reuters that the jet involved was Swiss, without giving any details.
Russia's deep concerns about the incident were expressed to the Ambassador. It was emphasized that such actions by Paris undermine the use of France as a place to hold multilateral diplomatic meetings and negotiations.
- Sergei Naryshkin flew to Geneva to take part in the 133rd assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. According to the news agency TASS, the Russian delegation will be the largest single delegation at the assembly.