Egyptian Parliament Uninvolved in A321 Crash Investigation - Diplomat

Egyptian Parliament does not interfere with the investigation of the Russian A321 passenger jet crash over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in October, but has been closely monitoring the process, a senior Egyptian diplomat said on Thursday.

CAIRO (Sputnik) — On October 31, 2015 the Russian-operated airliner, carrying 224 people, crashed in the Sinai Peninsula en route from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg. All people on board died in what has become the biggest disaster in Russian civil aviation history.

"We do not interfere with the investigation into the tragedy. But we, of course, we are following the developments, and call on the authorities to provide transparency with regard to the review of the causes by the international community," Mohamed Orabi, the head of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Egyptian Parliament and former Foreign Minister, told RIA Novosti.

He also expressed hope that the Russian tourists would return to Egypt in the near future.

According to the Russian security officials, the crash occurred due to a terrorist attack. Daesh jihadist group, which is banned in Russia and many other countries, claimed responsibility for the tragedy.

Shortly after the incident, Russia and Egypt established an international, Cairo-led investigative committee to carry out an inquiry into the crash. In addition, the sides coordinated their efforts to strengthen security, particularly at airports, while Russia suspended flights to and from Egypt, underscoring that it was not a political move, but an effort to ensure the safety of Russian passengers.