MEXICO, July 8 (RIA Novosti) - A number of international agreements must be reviewed in the wake of the incident involving Bolivia’s presidential aircraft, the Bolivian foreign minister said.
The aircraft carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales had been in the air for over three hours after taking off from Moscow on Tuesday, when France, Spain and Portugal announced the closure of their airspace to it. The plane landed in the Austrian capital Vienna, but was later allowed to fly on to Bolivia.
“It is high time to reconsider the effectiveness of the international agreements, which were put in doubt,” Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca said, but did not clarify, which agreements he meant.
According to the minister “the international law was violated, as well as human rights in regard to the president and his immunity, envisaged by agreements.”
The aircraft was reportedly searched in a “voluntary inspection” while in Vienna, Deputy Chancellor Michael Spindelegger said on Wednesday, apparently on suspicion it might have fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden on board. The Bolivian Defense Minister later denied reports that the plane was searched.
The incident provoked a diplomatic scandal: the leaders of Bolivia and other South American nations demanded explanations.
France later apologized to Bolivia for closing its airspace to Morales.
