MINSK, 19 March (BelTA) – Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei has discussed repatriation of Belarusian tourists stranded in Russia with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Dapkiunas told reporters on 19 March, BelTA has learned.
“An hour ago the Belarusian foreign minister spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and asked him to help resolve this issue. The parties discussed possible solutions,” Andrei Dapkiunas said.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Belarusian side spoke about problems with repatriating Belarusian tourists stranded in Vnukovo airport and emphasized that Belarusian nationals should still be able to return home from faraway countries by flights booked with Russian airlines.
“An agreement was reached to step up joint efforts to find solutions to the pressing issues as fast as possible,” the press service noted.
As BelTA has reported earlier, on 18 March, Russia closed borders to foreign nationals, including citizens of Belarus, over the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. Yet, it has allowed transit through Moscow airports Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo providing that citizens do not leave the transit zone and fly to Belarus within 24 hours. However, most Russian flights from the Asia-Pacific region arrive at Moscow's Vnukovo airport which currently has no direct flights to Minsk.
