Russia accuses Bulgaria of malice and stupidity over diplomatic overflight ban

Russia accused Bulgaria of malice and stupidity on Thursday (30 November) for refusing to allow Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s plane to fly through its airspace to attend a meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia.

In fact, Bulgaria didn’t refuse to allow Lavrov’s plane to fly through its airspace, but said that people under Western sanctions should not be onboard the plane.

Thus Russian official plane plane was forced to take a longer route over Greece to deliver Lavrov to a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Skopje.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Bulgaria’s position “absurd and stupid”.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who is under European Union sanctions, said her presence on board the plane was the reason given by Bulgaria’s foreign ministry for denying access to its airspace.

Lavrov is under EU sanctions, but as foreign minister, his participation at forums in which Russia is a member is not restricted.

No comment was immediately available from the Bulgarian ministry.

Zakharova wrote on the Telegram messenger app: “The malicious stupidity of the Russophobes reached the point that, for the first time in our history, official authorities banned not an airplane, but a person on that airplane.”

Zakharova suggested that Russia could apply similar overflight bans to “thousands of NATO functionaries” and accused Bulgaria of creating “a dangerous precedent”.

Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania declared a boycott of the meeting in Skopje in protest at the Russian delegation’s presence.

Ministers of the world’s largest regional security body meet on Thursday in Skopje as the 57-member organisation faces its most serious crisis since its creation with tensions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remaining heightened.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has been struggling to survive as Russia is blocking decisions, such as the organisation’s budget.

Created in 1975 as a forum for dialogue between the Eastern and Western blocs, the organisation — of which both Russia and Ukraine are part – has been operating with extra budgetary means, but tensions are running high.

Ukraine, as well as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have already said they would boycott the annual ministerial conference after the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who arrived in Skopje late on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Russia accused Western countries of trying to prevent its officials from attending the ministerial conference.

OSCE election observers also continue to be deployed to monitor polls around the globe.

The OSCE itself also insists on its relevance.

“The OSCE’s role is now more important than ever and remains invaluable to so many people across the region,” an OSCE spokesperson told AFP, citing the organisation’s support to members to fight human trafficking and addressing climate change.

In terms of substance, the stakes in Skopje are low. With the chairmanship settled, the main open issue is whether four top OSCE officials, including Secretary-General Helga Schmid, will have their terms extended.

(Edited by Georgi Gotev)

Read more with EURACTIV