Russia: Bulgaria has 'moral responsibility' for blocking Syrian aid - Zakharova

Bulgaria's initial decision to ban Russian humanitarian flights to Syria from passing through its territory caused "deep confusion" among the Russian government, spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing in Moscow on Thursday. She stressed that this step had created a moral and political responsibility of the government of Bulgaria to accept the consequences of its actions towards Russia and the people of Syria. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry had refused two Russian cargo aircraft the right to pass through Bulgaria on their mission to carry humanitarian aid to Syria on Tuesday. However, Russian cargo aircraft will be allowed to pass through Bulgaria, if the Russian state agrees to checks at Bulgarian airports, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said on the side-lines of a discussion in Sofia, Wednesday. Responding to Mitov's proposal to inspect Russian aircrafts at Bulgarian airports, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said during a press conference on Wednesday that "Russia will use alternative routes to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria after Bulgaria closed its airspace for Russian planes with such cargo." Several other high-ranking Russian officials confirmed Russia's position, including Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov who stated that "alternative routes will be found." Going on to say that "it is international duty to provide air corridors for planes that deal with solving humanitarian issues", he added. Nikolai Levichev, a Russian politician and lawmaker specialising in international affairs, said earlier that alternative routes for the Russian planes flying to Syria have reportedly been found. Russian officials did not specify what countries Russian planes with humanitarian cargo will fly over. But according to media reports, Russia could re-route its aid deliveries to Syria through Iran.