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 Pro-Russian separatists remain in control of the area in eastern
Ukraine where the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 was brought down last
week on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 on
board.
Najib helped clinch a deal with separatist leaders to secure the
return of the victims' remains as well as the aircraft's two "black
boxes", critical to determining what happened to the flight. It was
now time, he said, to proceed with the full investigation.
"My priority now is to ensure the third part of the deal is honored,
and that international investigators are given full and secure
access to the site," he said in a statement.
"This will require the cooperation of those in control of the crash
site and the Ukrainian armed forces."
The statement said Najib would fly to the Netherlands for talks on
Wednesday, after Malaysia has marked the end of the Muslim fasting
month of Ramadan.
DIFFICULT SITUATION ON GROUND
Malaysian experts believe at least 30 investigators will be required
to cover the full site of the crash, the statement said, in addition
to Dutch investigators and an expert from the United Nations' civil
aviation body, the ICAO.
"Unfortunately events on the ground - including ongoing fighting
between Ukrainian and separatist forces - prevent such a large
contingent of investigators being deployed," it said.
Ukraine's armed forces have been trying to dislodge separatists from
towns in eastern Ukraine since April.
The United States and other Western countries suggest the
separatists downed the plane with a surface-to-air missile supplied
by Russia. The separatists deny shooting down the plane and Russia
says it has provided no such weapons.
A total of 193 Dutch nationals and 43 Malaysians were among the
victims aboard MH-17.
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The Dutch Safety Board said this week it had taken control of an
investigation into the crash and would coordinate a team of
investigators from Ukraine, Malaysia, Germany, the United States,
Britain, Russia and the ICAO.
The European Union reached an outline agreement on Friday to impose
the first economic sanctions on Russia over its annexation of
Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in March and suspicions that it is
actively involved in destabilizing eastern Ukraine.
The 28-nation EU also imposed travel bans and asset freezes on
Russian intelligence chiefs and other officials accused of
undermining Ukraine's sovereignty.
One official added to the list, Alexander Tkachyov, the governor of
Russia's southern Krasnodar region, said he had no regrets about any
action he had taken. He said the West was "settling scores" for the
success of the Winter Olympics at Sochi in his region in February.
"I have no regrets because of the sanctions," Tkachyov said on
Twitter. "Even if I had known about this beforehand, I would do what
I did."
(Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow; Editing by
Ron Popeski and Gareth Jones)
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