KIEV, July 21 – Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman arrived here Monday to meet with Ukrainian leaders over the investigation into the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine.
He arrived at Kiev International Airport and was welcomed by Malaysia Ambassador to Ukraine Chuah Teong Ban and other Malaysian officials. Anifah is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Sych and Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin over the investigation into the MH17 disaster amid Ukraine’s standoff with pro-Russian separatists on the access to the crash site in Donetsk.
Chuah, when met earlier by Bernama, said a joint press conference by Anifah and his Ukrainian counterpart would be held at the Ukraine Foreign Office here. Wisma Putra, in a statement, said Malaysia would work with the Ukrainian authorities in recovering, identifying and repatriating the bodies of all the passengers and crew who died in the crash.
It said Malaysia had urged the Ukrainian government and the rebels to work out a temporary ceasefire for the team of investigators to be able to conduct its duty and responsibility without hindrance.
Malaysian Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai arrived in Kiev on Sunday to help negotiate access for the Malaysian team of investigators and recovery personnel to the crash site.
The Malaysian team of 133 officials and experts, comprising search and recovery personnel, forensic experts as well as technical and medical experts, arrived in Kiev a day earlier.
The MAS flight, MH17, was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it went down in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, near the Russian border on Thursday night. The Boeing 777 aircraft was carrying 298 people – 283 passengers and 15 crew. It is believed that the aircraft was shot down but until today no one has claimed responsibility for that.
– BERNAMA
