Russia failed to regain its seat on the Council of the UNʼs International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) due to opposition from the European Union. Following the failure, Moscow immediately called for a "second round of voting".
Politico writes about this.
Russia was expelled from the body in 2022 for illegally confiscating leased aircraft during the war against Ukraine. The ICAO Council also accused Russia of shooting down a Malaysian Boeing over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said before the vote on September 27 that “it is unacceptable that a state that endangers the safety of air passengers and violates international rules holds a seat on the governing body of an organization responsible for enforcing these same rules”.
On September 22, Reuters, citing working documents and a source in the Russian aviation sector, wrote that Russia is seeking to have aviation sanctions lifted at the ICAO assembly due to flight safety concerns. The documents cited by Reuters also criticize the closure of the airspace of 37 states to Russian airlines and the ban on aircraft maintenance and insurance.
The Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization runs from September 23 to October 3 in Montreal, Canada.
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