President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani. The conversation was initiated by the Iranian side.
Hassan Rouhani expressed condolences to the Ukrainian people and the families of those killed as a result of shooting down PS752 flight of Ukraine International Airlines. He apologized on behalf of the Iranian side for the tragedy that took 176 lives. The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran fully acknowledges that the tragedy was caused by the erroneous actions of the military of this state.
Official Tehran assured that everyone involved in the disaster would be held accountable, and the Ukrainian expert group would be provided with all the necessary support for the further effective cooperation in the legal and technical fields.
"Recognizing the "missile version" as the cause of the disaster paved the way for its further investigation without any delay and obstruction. I look forward to further constructive cooperation with Iran in accordance with international law,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President of Ukraine stressed that the crew of the downed plane had acted in strict accordance with international flight rules and instructions.
He stressed the need to identify and return the bodies of Ukrainian citizens to their homeland as soon as possible.
"It is extremely important for us to return the bodies of the deceased to Ukraine next week - by January 19 - so that their relatives can bid a final farewell," the President of Ukraine emphasized.
Hassan Rouhani assured that he would give appropriate instructions tonight to ensure the repatriation of the bodies as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine will immediately send a note to Iran with a clear list of all the next steps, including the legal aspects of the compensation issue. The Iranian party agrees with Ukraine on this issue.