KAZAN, October 22. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has arrived in Kazan to attend the BRICS Summit, a TASS correspondent reported.
According to the correspondent, his plane landed at Kazan’s airport at 9:30 p.m. Moscow time (6:30 p.m. GMT). He was welcomed by Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Alexey Pesoshin and other officials.
Venezuelan Vice President and Minister of Oil Delcy Rodriguez arrived in Kazan on Monday.
Maduro’s two planes have been seized by the US authorities. One plane was arrested in the Dominican Republic and directed to Florida on September 2. According to the US Department of Justice, the aircraft was purchased in violation of the US laws and export control regulations. The other plane that belonged to the Venezuelan government is being held in the Dominican Republic and the US’ request. The Venezuelan foreign ministry slammed these steps as piracy.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on September 3 that Russia supported Venezuela’s legal demand that the United States return the stolen presidential plane. She also lambasted Washington’s actions as another manifestation of utter disregard of international law.