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Greece prevents Syrian govt. plane from refueling

21 January 2014 23:54 (UTC +04:00)

"The delegation's plane landed at Athens international airport and was prevented from refueling," the Syrian state TV said on Tuesday, noting that all airspace permissions had previously been granted for the flight.

The Greek Foreign Ministry, however, downplayed the three-hour delay as “a small delay over formalities." It also said the issue had been settled and that the plane had been cleared for take-off.

Greek air traffic controllers, however, said the plane was still in Athens.

"Contrary to the claims of the Greek Foreign Ministry about solving the issue of the Syrian plane ... it has not been permitted to refuel, which has prevented it from taking off," Syrian state television said.

The broadcaster said the lengthy delay might result in the cancellation of a planned meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem - who was on the plane - and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Representatives of the Syrian government and the foreign-backed opposition are to participate in the Geneva II conference, which will kick off in the Swiss lake-side city of Montreux on Wednesday. The meeting will then move to the UN headquarters in Geneva on January 24 after a one-day break.

The talks are aimed at finding a political solution to the deadly militancy that has been plaguing Syria since 2011.

According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.