Russia, EU make breakthrough on terms of Siberian overflights

Russia and the European Union on Friday made a breakthrough in resolving a 20-year dispute over the fees Moscow charges foreign airlines for permission to fly over Siberia.

European carriers pay more than 330 million euros (about 400 million U.S. dollars) annually in Siberian over-flight charges.

At the ongoing EU-Russia summit in Helsinki, Russia agreed to totally phase out the charges by the end of 2013, a year earlier than previous agreed.

"(The deal) opens a wide range of opportunities for strengthening EU-Russia relations, in particular in the transport field," said EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot.

"The agreement will significantly improve the competitive situation of our European airlines and ease their operations between Europe and the growing markets in Asia," he said.

An agreement on the matter is to be signed on the sidelines of the EU-Russia summit on Friday.

The EU has long lobbied Russia to put an end to the charges imposed on European airlines on all flights to Asia, which must fly over Siberia.

Source: Xinhua