Swiss Female Minister Refused To Take Off Shoes At The Russian Airport

The Swiss woman minister claimed diplomatic immunity. She refused to accept the shoe removal security check, but the Russian airport staff refused to let it go.

The woman's plane was delayed 20 minutes, and she said she wanted to lodge a formal protest with the Russian government.

Swiss woman minister of economic affairs, Doris, led a 20 member delegation to the 6 day's visit to Russia at 12 pm to return to Zurich at the airport of pukovo, St Petersburg.

According to Swiss media reports, the 45 year old Luo Yi hade refused to accept shoes off security inspection, she tried to go through the security check directly in shoes, but was blocked by airport personnel.

Reported that the Swiss ambassador to Russia Erwin Hofer was red faced to explain to the airport staff that he was a minister and had diplomatic immunity all over the world.

Hofer also made phone calls to senior members of the Russian security service.

Another member of the delegation also loudly argued for the Minister of women.

But all protests are useless. Russian airport personnel insist that there are no exceptions to the security procedures.

The minister later took off her shoes as well as other members of the delegation.

At the other end of the security checkpoint, a Russian female inspector searched her whole body from head to toe.

According to ATS, Swiss news agency, this is the first time that she has been a minister.

It is said that the Swiss government will submit a formal letter of protest to Russia, because diplomatic immunity should be applied to the members of the government.

According to the Russian news agency, the airport security storm is not the only disagreement among Swiss women ministers in Russia's trip. The Swiss woman minister has been very upset about the fact that the governor of Leningrad has only sent her deputy to speak with her for the first time.

A former Swiss ambassador to Russia said that Russian security inspectors were not deliberately trying to make things difficult. They simply had no power to cause the dispute.

"None of the five or six uniformed staff present has the right to change the safety procedures already established without high-level approval," he said.

Although most of the reports in the Swiss media criticize the "bureaucracy" of airport security in Russia, the "20 minutes" survey conducted by the news website shows that 67% of the people believe that the minister should be the same as other passengers at the airport security inspection. The immunity should not work here; only 30% of the people agree that there should be an exception; the other 3% do not express their views.