UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th May, 2021) The Belarusian Permanent Mission to the United Nations has sent notes of protest to six members of the UN Security Council - Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States - as well as Belgium and Germany over their statement on the Ryanair emergency landing in Minsk, the head of the mission, Valentin Rybakov, told Sputnik.
On Wednesday, these eight countries published a joint statement to strongly condemn the diversion of the flight with 132 people on board to the Minsk National Airport and the following arrest of two passengers: opposition journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega. They also demanded the immediate release of Protasevich and Sapega.
"We have reacted to that. We have not been invited [to the closed consultations] but know the results. We know about the statement that was made by the representatives of the eight countries after the end of this close meeting of the UN Security Council," Rybakov said on late Thursday.
"We have sent similar notes of protest to all the eight nations that have made this statement. In these notes we stressed that voicing any opinions and evaluations concerning this incident before a relevant investigation is conducted and relevant results are announced, is a blatant violation committed by UN member states," the diplomat added.
