On September 3 all national CIS civil-aviation administrations were informed that Russia would stop providing all air-navigation support in its air space starting with October 1, 2004, unless all overdue debts in this category were repaid.
As of today, Georgian airlines owe more than $3.6 million for air-navigation support in the skies over Russia.
This highlights the need for repaying such debts, rather than Russia's intention to close its air space for Georgian airlines, RIA Novosti learned at the Russian Foreign Ministry's information-and-press department.
It goes without saying that any anti-Georgian transport blockade is absolutely out of the question. We have repeatedly suggested that such issues must be settled on time by the concerned Russian and Georgian ministries and departments at the negotiating table. The Moscow visit of Georgy Mzhavanadze, who heads Georgia's civil-aviation administration, will have great significance in this connection, Russian diplomats noted.
