22 Aug 2018 17:55

Russia willing to discuss safety of military flights over Baltic Sea with NATO partners - Putin

SOCHI. Aug 22 (Interfax) - Russia is willing to discuss measures to improve the safety of military flights over the Baltic Sea with NATO countries, even though the latter have refused to do so, Moscow hopes they will revise this stance, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We are ready to discuss this with our NATO partners, but they refuse," Putin said at a press conference following negotiations with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Sochi on Wednesday.

"I think this is an unconstructive position. We hope it's going to be changed," he said.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has drawn up flight rules in the region, but they concern only civil aircraft and are recommendatory, he said.