MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin that the investigation into the crash of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane should be led by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and called on Russia to influence independence supporters in Ukraine so that they help the probe, Reuters reported Monday.
“It is clear that Russia must use her influence on the separatists to improve the situation on the ground," Rutte was quoted as saying. “If in the coming days access to the disaster area remains inadequate, then all political, economic and financial options are on the table against those who are directly or indirectly responsible for that," he told parliament.
Rutte also noted that the location of black box recorders has not been identified, but once found they should be immediately transferred to the ICAO. Moreover, the Netherlands expects to return to the country the bodies of all the passengers who died in the crash for identification.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Monday against using the crash for political goals.
“Speaking about the terrible tragic events that occurred in the sky above Donetsk, I would like to say once again how we in Russia treat these events that today happen in Ukraine. We have repeatedly called on all the conflicting sides to immediately stop bloodshed and sit down at the negotiating table," Putin told Rossiya 24 television channel Monday.
Malaysia Airlines' flight MH17 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed on July 17 near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. 298 people on board the Boeing 777 died, including 283 passengers and 15 crew members.
Ukrainian authorities place the blame for the crash on independence supporters in the country’s eastern regions, while the latter maintain they do not have the means to shoot down a plane flying that high.
