Moscow-Taipei direct links by Spring of 2000 after bilateral talks

Published: 9/2/1999

Taiwan and Russia are expected to sign an aviation agreement early next year to open direct air links in April or May 2000. The breakthrough came in bilateral air talks after Moscow agreed to grant a Taiwanese air carrier the rights to extend flights to Frankfurt. But a Moscow envoy in Taipei denied any knowledge of the reported development. "We have not received any information on any new development," said acting representative, Vladimir Malyshev. Moscow recognises China instead of Taiwan, but maintains unofficial relations with the nationalist island. It opened a de facto embassy in Taipei in 1996. Flights between Taipei and Moscow failed to take off in March 1998 as scheduled, owing to a dispute over the extension of flights by Taiwan's carriers. Taiwan and Russia started aviation talks in 1993 and exchanged documents in September 1997 for opening air links. Taiwan's largest carrier, China Airlines, has been designated to fly the Taipei-Moscow route, with an initial plan of two flights a week. In the first six months to June 1999, more than 5,000 Taiwanese applied for tourist visas to visit Russia, representing a 20% increase over the corresponding period in 1998.

Article ID: 819