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Deputy PM hopes no big problems arise as Russians are evacuated from Egypt

According to Dvorkovich, Russian tourists and their luggage would be evacuated from Egypt within two weeks

GORKI, November 9. /TASS/. Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich does not see big problems in evacuation from Egypt of Russian tourists and their luggage.

"We do not see big problems; and still, like it happens always, some luggage remains unclaimed, its pictures are published on the airport's website, passengers identify it and request delivery to a certain place," he told Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Monday.

Dvorkovich said Russian tourists and their luggage would be evacuated from Egypt within two weeks.

"According to the schedule of holidays, we expect another peak next weekend."

As of Monday, about 50,000 Russian citizens remain in Egypt.

On Friday, November 6, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin supported recommendations of the national anti-terror committee to suspend flights to Egypt. The presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov explained the flights will be suspended not to end of investigation into crash of Kagalymavia’s plane, but until necessary security is provided. Putin ordered organisation of support to Russian nationals’ return home from Egypt. From 10p.m. Moscow time on Friday, all regular, transit and chartered flights from Russia to Egypt, carrying passengers, were suspended.

Russian Kogalymavia’s A321 plane, en-route from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, crashed in the early morning of October 31 just some 20 minutes after its takeoff. The disaster site is 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of the administrative centre of North Sinai Governorate, the city of Al-Arish.

Flight 9268 carried 217 passengers and seven crewmembers and they were all officially announced dead following the tragic accident. Most passengers were Russian nationals. Among the passengers onboard were also four Ukrainian citizens and one Belarusian national.