Russia loses UN aviation council seat in Ukraine rebuke By Reuters

By Allison Lampert

MONTREAL (Reuters) -Russia did not win sufficient votes for re-election to the United Nation’s aviation company’s governing council on Saturday, in a lift for Western powers that needed to carry Moscow accountable following its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia fell in need of the votes wanted to remain on the Worldwide Civil Aviation Group’s (ICAO) 36-nation governing council, throughout the company’s meeting which runs via Oct. 7 in Montreal.

The voting outcomes set off a procedural evaluate on Saturday, after a problem by Russia for a further vote. Poppy Khoza, meeting president and South Africa’s director normal of civil aviation, known as the circumstances “unprecedented.”

“When now we have votes in our nations, if we do not just like the consequence, we do not ask for an additional vote,” the French consultant informed the meeting.

Russia, together with the G7, China, Brazil and Australia, held spots as “states of chief significance in air transport” on ICAO’s 36-member council.

“We would like to precise remorse relating to the end result of the voting,” the Russian consultant stated. “We view this as a purely political step and has nothing to do with Russia’s place within the area of civil aviation.”

Russia closed its airspace to airways from 36 nations, together with all 27 members of the European Union, in response to Ukraine-related sanctions focusing on its aviation sector following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The West says Russia has illegally confiscated tons of of international jets, a cost Moscow denies.

Canada and Europe stated earlier than the vote they’d oppose Russia’s re-election to the council.

Omar Alghabra, Canada’s transport minister, informed Reuters this week “it is vital that Russia is held accountable.”

The 193-nation ICAO meeting, held each three years, is the primary because the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine conflict.