Russian leader conveys condolences, calls for independent inquiry
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said it is untrue that he was not willing to cooperate with international authorities on the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said Moscow had requested an independent and detailed investigation into the shooting down of MH17.
Putin reiterated that from the beginning, Moscow had called for such an investigation, and that it was willing to fully cooperate to ensure the credibility of the findings by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which concluded that Russia was responsible for the shoot down.
Anwar said he would inform the victims’ families about the feedback given by Putin on MH17.
“What I can confirm is that he said it is not true that he is not willing to cooperate. But he is unable to cooperate with any body that he considers, or Russia considers, as not independent,” he told Malaysian media covering his official visit to Russia yesterday, reported Bernama.
During his meeting with Putin at the Kremlin, he said he raised the issue of MH17, to represent the families of the victims affected by the tragedy.
“For sure, as a representative of the Malaysian people, particularly the families of the victims, I took the opportunity to raise the issue with President Vladimir Putin during our bilateral discussions,” he added.
Anwar was asked to comment on the recently released ICAO report, which concluded that Russia was responsible for the downing of the jet.
According to the report, the plane was en route from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a Russian missile while flying over eastern Ukraine, amid a conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
The Prime Minister said Putin listened carefully to the concerns raised and conveyed his sympathy and condolences to the victims’ families.
“That, he has never wavered from,” said Anwar, adding that the Russian President had emphasised his call for a thorough and non-politicised investigation.
On Monday, ICAO, a UN aviation council, concluded that Russia was responsible for the incident in which the Malaysian aircraft was shot down over Ukrainian airspace, killing all 298 passengers and crew on board.
The report stated that ICAO would consider appropriate forms of compensation in the coming weeks.
In November 2022, a Dutch court convicted two Russian nationals and a Ukrainian national in absentia for their roles in the attack.
Anwar arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for a four-day official visit, which concludes today with a visit to Kazan, Tatarstan.
Both leaders held a closed-door meeting before Anwar attended a luncheon and held a meeting with delegations from both countries.
