MOSCOW, July 14 (RIA Novosti) – The refusal to grant visas to Russia’s delegation to the Farnborough Airshow near London is no more than a political move, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov said Monday.
“The Russian Embassy in London has sent an official diplomatic note to our British colleagues in regard to this. We see here a clearly political action that is not based on anything,” Meshkov said.
UK authorities denied visas to several members of the Russian delegation and journalists, linking the move to Moscow’s stance on the crisis in Ukraine.
Earlier on Monday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin advised Russian delegation members to end their participation in the Farnborough Airshow.
“I recommend our delegation winds up its participation in the exhibition and returns home," Rogozin, who is in charge of the defense and space industry, wrote on Twitter.
The 2014 Farnborough International Airshow, the world’s largest aerospace exhibition, takes place in England on July 14-20.
The Farnborough airshow occurs once every other year. This year the airshow is to have 1,500 exhibitors, 70 grounded aircraft and 23 due to take part in flying displays.
The exhibition is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors and an even greater number of potential buyers, in addition to some 90 official delegations and more than 20 countries that are to have their own stands at the show.
