Lithuania called on the countries of the European Union to consider the joint recommendation to avoid the airspace of Belarus after the incident with the Ryanair aircraft. The appropriate statement is published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania.
“The forced landing of the Ryanair aircraft following the two EU capitals, and the holding of EU citizens in hostages are a serious violation of international norms. The EU has undergone a cruel attack and must answer the most stringent way,” the words of the head of the Gabrielus Landsbergis Gabrielus department are given.
In addition to this, the country is urged to recognize the incident by violation of the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and suspend membership of Belarus in this organization. Lithuania also appealed to the EU partners with a request to call Belarus ambassadors to express a decisive protest against the actions of the Belarusian regime.
The statement is also noted that on the evening of May 23, Landsbergis and the EU Supreme Representative on Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrel held a telephone conversation on this issue.
Airplane of the Irish budget airline Ryanair, following the route Athens – Vilnius, made an emergency landing in Minsk after receiving reports of mining. On board the creator of the Telegram-channel NEXTA, which illuminated the protests in Belarus, Roman Protasevich was detained. It was also reported that six passengers reached the final point. Prior to that, it was reported that by the Ryanair airline, which had previously committed an emergency landing in Minsk, six people flew to Vilnius. The head of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Layen called this incident unacceptable. German Foreign Minister Khaiko Maas stated that the occurrence would not remain without serious consequences by the EU.
The NEXTA project covered the protests against the presidential elections in Belarus in August 2020, he was recognized as a foreign extremist organization and prohibited, and its creators Stepan Putilo and Roman Protasevich were listed in the list of persons involved in terrorist activities. They are accused of organizing mass riots, as well as in the actions aimed at the “initiation of social hostility” in relation to representatives of the authorities and security forces.