Seimas calls on the EU to respond immediately to the threat posed by the Belarusian regime to international civil aviation

Press release, 25 May 2021

 

In response to the forced landing of a Ryanair civil aircraft (flight FR4978) en route from Athens to Vilnius at Minsk airport on 23 May 2021, the Seimas adopted a resolution considering it as an act of state terrorism perpetrated by Belarus and taking the view that this unprecedented action by Belarus demonstrates the threat posed by the regime to all passengers inside and outside Europe.

 

The Seimas Resolution on the Act of State Terrorism Perpetrated by Belarus against a Civil Aircraft (draft No XIVP-545) was adopted by 124 votes in favour, none against and one abstention.

 

In the Resolution, the Seimas calls on the Member States and institutions of the European Union to respond immediately to the threat posed by the Belarusian regime to international civil aviation and to ban overflight of Belarusian airspace by EU-based carriers, as well as to ban Belarusian airlines from flying into the EU territory; to adopt as soon as possible the complete fourth package of targeted EU sanctions; to start work on the fifth package of targeted EU sanctions against EU-exporting and regime-related entities as well as the individuals who contributed to the hijacking of the Ryanair aircraft; and to discontinue the EU’s cooperation programmes with Belarus implemented by Belarusian national and local authorities, without the European Commission applying any financial corrections in respect of the EU Member States and legal entities operating therein.

 

The Resolution invites international partners to take joint action in the United Nations, NATO, the G7 and other international organisations, also in other formats regarding the assessment of threats posed by the Belarusian regime and the release of persons detained and convicted by the Belarusian regime for political reasons.

 

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is called upon to immediately conduct an international investigation of the incident that occurred on 23 May 2021 and to suspend Belarus’ membership of ICAO for the period of this investigation. The European Aviation Security Agency is urged to take a decision on the unreliability of Belarus’ air traffic control services.

 

The Resolution invites NATO member countries and other international partners to impose sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko’s regime and to deprive the regime of access to Interpol and other international organisations to continue attacks on European democracy.

 

The call is issued on international financial institutions, the EU Member States’ financial and export credit and guarantee institutions and agencies to discontinue the funding, guarantee and assistance mechanisms for public projects in Belarus that directly or indirectly benefit Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.

 

Saulė Eglė Trembo, Chief Specialist, Press Office, Information and Communication Department, tel. +370 5 239 6203, e-mail: [email protected]