Merkel, Putin agree on international probe of MH17 crash
File photo of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. — AFP
Berlin:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin
have agreed for an international investigation into the downing of a
Malaysian Airlines plane over Ukraine, Berlin said on Saturday.
The
two leaders, who spoke on the telephone, "agreed that an international,
independent commission under the direction of ICAO (UN's International
Civil Aviation Organization) should quickly have access to the site of
the accident... to shed light on the circumstances of the crash and move
the victims," said a German government statement.
A
Kremlin statement on the same phone call said that "both sides stressed
the importance of a thorough and objective investigation of all
circumstances relating to what has happened" and said Merkel gave a
"positive assessment of Russia's readiness to send its representative to
participate in the investigation."
The two
leaders also agreed that a contact group comprising Ukraine, Russia and
the OSCE should meet "quickly" with the aim of reaching a ceasefire in
the conflict between Kiev and the pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine,
said the German government statement.
"The
chancellor once again asked President Putin to exercise his influence
over the separatists in order to reach this objective," it said.
In
a possible barrier to further talks, however, the Kremlin statement
said the contact group should include separatist representatives, a move
opposed by Kiev.