The FINANCIAL — An unofficial meeting of NATO foreign ministers on April 22-23 in Tallinn is under threat of being postponed due to the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption in Iceland, which has closed most European airports, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said on April 19, according to RIA Novosti.
"Today it is too early to plan anything. The meeting is to be held on April 15, so we have a couple of days to make a decision," Paet said on Estonian TV, adding that a precise answer could be made on April 14 morning.
The unofficial meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Tallinn is going to be the biggest international political event in Estonia's history. Apart from the heads of foreign ministries, the delegations high-ranking officials from 45 countries will take part in the summit. The meeting will be headed by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Paet expressed hope the meeting would be held on schedule. "However there is the possibility the meeting will be postponed for two days," he said.
Paet said the top air carriers Lufthansa and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have already made test flights without any problems.
The eruption on the Eyjafjallajokull Glacier in Iceland, which began on April 14, has paralyzed air traffic throughout central and northern Europe, stranding thousands of travelers.
