Moscow threatens UK with "symmetrical" response to visa denials
MOSCOW. July 14 (Interfax) - Moscow on Monday slammed Britain for denying entry visas to the Russian delegation to this week's international air show in Farnborough and threatened "symmetrical" measures.
"We qualify this British move as patently unfriendly and expect official explanations from the British side about the current situation, which does not fit into the framework of normal relations between our nations. We also reserve the right to symmetrical action, as is customary in diplomatic practice," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Yury Matery said in a statement.
"We are justifiably indignant in this situation. We have always assumed that it is in the interests of Britain as the organizer of large-scale international events that they should be successful and maximally representative. But this is by no means the first instance of problems with issuing visas to participants in official Russian delegations to Farnborough shows. There have been problems for the same reason with regard to other international forums in Britain, including an international exhibition of ecological foods in April this year and the Info Security Europe 2014 exhibition in summer this year," he said.
The Russian Embassy in Britain "has sent a note to the Foreign Office, requesting explanations," Matery said. "No response has been received so far."
"Though the [visa] documents were submitted well in advance, the visit of the principal part of the Russian official delegation that planned to participate in Farnborough International Airshow 2014, which opened on July 14 of this year, is apparently being ruined because of the non-issuance of British visas," Matery said.
"The technical personnel who are involved in the maintenance of the exhibits that the Russian side has delivered to the air show already have had their visas delayed as well," he said.