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Japanese government expresses support for Russia over terror act on board A321 jet

According to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese government has taken appropriate measures to ensure safety at all airports in the country
Russian A321 crash site in Sinai Maxim Grigoryev/TASS
Russian A321 crash site in Sinai
© Maxim Grigoryev/TASS

TOKYO, November 18. /TASS/. The Japanese government has expressed support for Russia in connection with the A321 jet crash in Egypt that was caused by a terrorist attack. "Terrorism is inexcusable. We strongly condemn it and express our solidarity with Russia," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.

"We are offering our deepest condolences to all families of the victims," he said, stressing that his country will continue close cooperation with the international community in combating terrorism. He added that the Japanese government "had taken appropriate measures to ensure safety at all airports in the country."

The Airbus A321 plane crash is the biggest in the history of Russian and Soviet aviation. The plane belonging to Russian air company Kogalymavia was en route from Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt to St. Petersburg in Russia (flight KGL 9268) when it crashed over the Sinai Peninsula early on October 31. The plane fell near El Hasna populated locality 100 km to the south of Al-Arish, the administrative center of the North Sinai Governorate (province). All the 224 people onboard, including 217 passengers and the 7-member crew, died. The passengers, most of whom were Russians, also included four Ukrainians and one citizen of Belarus.

On Tuesday, head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov said during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that the terrorist attack had caused the Russian aircraft to crash. According to him, traces of foreign explosives have been found on the debris of the plane.