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Russian S7 Airline finds way to circumvent ban on flights over Ukraine
The largest private Russian airline company, S7 Airlines, wants to provide service through another airline in Bulgaria’s capital for flights from Moscow to Europe through Ukraine, RIA Novosti reported.
“Yes, we have sent the documents for the registration and purchase of the local airline company. Ukraine’s airspace is closed to us and it is impossible to fly to Bulgaria while bypassing Ukraine,” S7 co-owner, Natalya Fileva, stated in her interview with journalists.
She noted that a few …
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UNESCO: Crimean Chersonesus Site does not belong to Russia
UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) doesn’t recognize the Chersonesos Taurica museum and reserve as being under Russian control. “Today, UNESCO doesn’t recognize this. A vote was held in the United Nations that Crimea is not yet recognized as a part of Russia in the international legal understanding of this issue,” the Permanent Delegate of the Russian Federation to UNESCO, Eleonora Mitrofanova said.
According to Mitrofanova, Kiev holds that the …
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Visegrad Group says it's ready to facilitate visa-free regime between Ukraine and EU
The Visegrad Group (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic) has declared its readiness to facilitate a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the European Union, as reported by RBC Ukraine.
Representatives of the four members of the Group are currently in Lviv attending a meeting on energy efficiency.
“The Visegrad partners position remains unchanged with respect to the support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and [the group] expressed its readiness to support …
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European Council formally lifts sanctions against Belarus
The European Council formally lifted sanctions against Belarus on February 25th, citing improvements in the country’s human rights situation.
In particular, asset freezes and travel bans were lifted against 170 individuals, including President Alexander Lukashenko, as well as three Belarusian companies.
EU Foreign Ministers made the decision earlier this month after Lukashenko released several political prisoners in August of 2015. The appropriate legislation was approved on February 25th. …
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The Lithuanian Foreign Minister believes that it is too early to lift sanctions against Russia
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Linas Linkevičius, commented on statements given by French politicians regarding the possible dangers of ongoing sanctions, saying that they not only affect the country’s economy, but the European Union (EU) as a whole.
Linkevičius noted that "no one is proud of the sanctions, but they were introduced for a reason".
In an interview with Radio French International (RFI), Linkevičius stated that Russia’s annexation of Crimea was the reason for the …