KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd December, 2021) Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly, have coordinated a common approach before another round of talks with Iran regarding the downed Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
The officials met on the sidelines of the NATO North Atlantic Council meeting in Riga, agreeing to strengthen their relations.
"The ministers coordinated a common position until the next stage of negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran on bringing to justice those responsible for the downing of the PS752 aircraft. The Ministers agreed to continue to maintain the unity of the International Coordination Group for Victims of Flight PS752 in the fight for justice for the victims of the tragedy and their families," the ministry said in a statement.
On January 8, 2020, a Boeing 737 operated by Ukraine International Airlines crashed soon after departing from an airport in Tehran. Citizens of Iran, Canada, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom were among the 176 passengers and crew who died. Iran later revealed that its military had shot down the plane by accident, confusing it for a hostile cruise missile during an escalation with the US over Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani's assassination.
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled in May that Iran had deliberately downed the Ukrainian airliner, deeming the incident an act of terrorism under the Criminal Code of Canada. Tehran criticized the decision as groundless and politically-motivated.
