KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2020) Iranian President's Special Representative Mohammad Eslami has conveyed to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko Tehran's assurances of its readiness to constructively cooperate with Kiev in investigating the downing of Ukraine's passenger plane by the Iranian military, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
"Mohammad Eslami on behalf of the Iranian government has offered condolences to the families of people who died in the plane accident near Tehran and assured of readiness to constructively collaborate for ensuring a comprehensive and objective investigation of all circumstances of the tragic event," the Ukrainian ministry said in a statement.
It quoted Prystaiko as saying that determining the causes of the crash and bringing all those responsible to justice is in the spotlight both in Ukraine and internationally, "hence the extreme importance for Ukraine to cooperate with Iran broadly and transparently in investigating all circumstances [of the crash]."
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed near Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport minutes after takeoff on January 8. All 176 people on board were killed, among them citizens of Ukraine, Afghanistan, Canada, Germany, Iran, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Three days later, the Iranian military admitted to unintentionally shooting down the jetliner, having confused it with a hostile cruise missile.
The Security Service of Ukraine has launched a criminal investigation into the crash over suspected breach of air transportation safety provisions, deliberate murder and deliberate destruction or damage of property. Iran has already confirmed that the downed plane's black boxes would be sent to Ukraine for decoding.
