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Colombia expresses protest over Russia violating its airspace

The foreign minister pointed out that Russian aircrafts repeatedly violate the flight clearance conditions established by Colombia

Colombian Foreign Minister Claudia Blum EPA-EFE/Mauricio Duenas Castaneda

Colombian Foreign Minister Claudia Blum

© EPA-EFE/Mauricio Duenas Castaneda

BOGOTA, April 20. /TASS/. The Colombian government has decided to send a note of protest to Russian Ambassador to Colombia Nikolai Tavdumadze over a Russian plane violating the airspace of the republic, Colombian Foreign Minister Claudia Blum informed on Monday.

"On behalf of the government [of Colombia], the Foreign Ministry sent an official note to the Russian Ambassador to Bogota, in which it expressed strong protest over the situation with a Russian plane that violated Colombia’s airspace on April 19," Blum stated. Her video message was published on the ministry’s Twitter.

The minister pointed out that Russian aircrafts repeatedly violate the flight clearance conditions established by Colombia. "Ambassador Tavdumadze was informed of the importance of a quick response from the Russian government that would guarantee that serious and systematic violations of Colombia’s airspace will not repeat themselves," Blum stressed.

The Russian ambassador confirmed to TASS that he was summoned by the Colombian Foreign Ministry for a discussion with the minister.

Earlier, representatives of the Colombian Air Force informed that they sent an interceptor team in response to a Russian Il-96 plane violating the country’s airspace. According to the air force, the plane had a permit to fly over Colombian territory, however, it entered the republic’s airspace through a different zone than that allowed.

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