President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine to the Special Representative of Iran on the investigation into the UIA plane crash: We must ensure justice

20 January 2020 - 17:58

President of Ukraine to the Special Representative of Iran on the investigation into the UIA plane crash: We must ensure justice

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Iran Mohammad Eslami who arrived in Kyiv to discuss the details of the Ukraine International Airlines plane crash that took place on January 8 in Tehran.

The Head of State noted that in the matter of clarifying the circumstances of the tragedy, the Iranian party had complied with most arrangements.

"Everything we talked about with the President of Iran was mainly done," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

He noted access for 45 Ukrainian specialists to work in Tehran, prompt identification of the bodies of Ukrainian citizens and their return.

The Head of State underscored the need for further effective investigation into the crash.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Special Representative of the President of Iran discussed the issue of the transfer of the Ukrainian aircraft’s flight data recorders to Ukraine for the purpose of their decryption. He stressed that Ukraine had the necessary technical means and experienced specialists to perform this work properly.

A group of Iranian representatives is expected to arrive and get themselves acquainted with the technical capabilities of Ukraine to decipher the "black boxes". The parties agreed that all remnants of the aircraft preserved after the accident should be returned to Ukraine.

They also raised the issue of compensation to the relatives of those killed in the plane crash and the creation of a joint investigation team.

“We will never be able to bring back parents, children and relatives to their families. The only thing we can give them is justice. And justice means truth. I promised the families and loved ones of the deceased, I promised the people of Ukraine that the truth would be established. We need to know what happened,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Riaboshapka noted that cooperation of the respective authorities of the two countries should be ensured for effective investigation.

The parties expressed their condolences over the deaths of the citizens of Ukraine and Iran.