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Belarus invites Russia to talks over passenger flights

The Belarusian transport ministry's Aviation Department has invited Russia's aviation authorities to talks on passenger flights between Minsk and Moscow.

"Our side has sent an invitation [to Russia] to talks, but the Russian side has been silent so far," the news agency RIA Novosti quoted Ihar Charhinets, deputy director general of Belarus' national airline Belavia, as saying on September 17.

The Russian transport ministry's press office confirmed on Monday that the invitation had been received.

In late March, the Belarusian aviation authorities refused to allow Russian carriers to perform more than four Moscow-Minsk flights per day, the same number of flights that were operated on the route by Belavia.

Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency attacked Belarus over the ban and referred to a 1997 bilateral air traffic agreement, which it said provides for no restrictions on the number of flights between the two countries.

Belavia hit back, accusing Russian carriers of unfair competition.

Belarus eventually agreed to allow Russian airlines to raise the daily number of flights from Moscow to Minsk to five.

Under the deal reached by the two countries, Belavia was to raise the daily frequency of flights from Minsk to Moscow to five as well.

The deal meant that Belarus had to accept Russia's conditions, not least because of Russia's threat to ban Belavia from flying to Russian cities other than Moscow. //BelaPAN