Foreign Secretary and Dutch Foreign Minister discuss Ukraine
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Dutch Foreign Minister Albert Koenders discuss latest situation in eastern Ukraine and access to MH17 crash site.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Dutch Foreign Minister Albert Koenders
Following their meeting today, Mr Hammond and Mr Koenders said:
We express our deepest sympathy with those who lost relatives and friends during the downing of flight MH17. We welcome the recent OSCE-brokered access to the MH17 crash site which has made the repatriation of victims’ remains and personal belongings possible. We call upon all involved to do their utmost to ensure that full, safe and unrestricted access to the site is guaranteed. Completion of the repatriation, recovery and investigation work is essential.
We are deeply concerned about the latest reports of movements of military personnel and heavy weapons into eastern Ukraine. All parties must implement the Minsk agreements and refrain from any further escalatory actions.
We urge Russia to demonstrate its genuine commitment to a sustainable political solution to the ongoing crisis, including removing all weapons and foreign fighters under Russian control from Ukraine and returning control of Ukraine’s international border to the Ukrainian authorities.
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