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Poland foreign ministry informed in time on Night Wolves’ ride — Russia’s embassy

Russia’s embassy to Poland disagrees with Poland’s ban on a ride of the Night Wolves motorcycle club through the republic to mark the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany

WARSAW, April 24. /TASS/. Russia’s embassy to Poland disagrees with Poland’s ban on a ride of the Night Wolves motorcycle club through the republic en route to Berlin to mark the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, the spokeswoman for the Russian diplomatic mission told TASS on Friday.

"Russia’s embassy confirms that the note has been received," Valerya Perzhinskaya said. "It contains a denial for an organised group of motorcyclists to access Poland, citing formal reasons."

"We think we have done everything in time," she said. "We disagree with the Polish authorities’ decision and view it in the context of negative environment surrounding this visit to Poland," Perzhinskaya said. "It is not going to have a favourable impact on development of the Russian-Polish relationship."

Earlier in the day, the Polish Foreign Ministry sent a note to the Russian Embassy to Poland "containing information on refusing entry to the territory of Poland to an organized group of motorcyclists, including representatives of the Night Wolves club."

"The reason behind this decision was absence of necessary and precise information about the group’s stay in Poland, its routes and locations for sleeping accommodation," the Polish Foreign Ministry said.

At the same time, the foreign ministry said that other requests to hold events organised by the Russian side in the run-up to Victory Day "have been approved," in particular a motor ride from the Russian Kaliningrad region to the Polish town of Braniewo scheduled for Saturday.

The Polish lawmaker of the Democratic Left Alliance, Tadeusz Iwinski, said that "this is a disputable decision with a political background despite a formal explanation."

The Night Wolves biker club plans to begin their journey on April 25 in Moscow and to finish it in Berlin on May 9 marking the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany by riding through Minsk, Wroclaw, Brno, Bratislava, Vienna, Munich and Prague.

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