Switzerland offers the Ukrainian authorities support in dealing with the aftermath of the plane crash tragedy
Bern, 18.07.2014 - On behalf of Switzerland, the President of the Swiss Confederation, Didier Burkhalter, expressed his consternation over the plane crash tragedy in the Ukraine and offered his condolences to the countries whose citizens were among the victims. Switzerland also extended an offer to the Ukrainian authorities to send experts to help to investigate the cause of the crash and to identify the victims.
On behalf of Switzerland, the President of the Swiss Confederation, Didier Burkhalter, expressed his consternation over the plane crash tragedy in Ukraine on 17 July 2014 in which 298 passengers and crew members lost their lives. He expressed his sympathy in a telephone call with Frans Timmermans, the Dutch Foreign Minister, the Netherlands being the country that lost the largest number of citizens. He also extended his condolences to other countries whose citizens were among the crash victims. These included the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, the Philippines, New Zealand and Canada. There are no indications so far that any Swiss citizens lost their lives in the plane crash.
The investigation into the cause of the accident and the recovery of victims continues in the Ukraine. Mr Burkhalter offered the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Pavlo Klimkin, Switzerland's support if this is wished. In concrete terms, Swiss Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) experts are ready to travel to Ukraine. Switzerland is also offering assistance in laboratory work. Other areas of support could also include aviation investigations and explosives analyses. The precondition for all Switzerland's forms of assistance is that the Ukrainian authorities issue an invitation and that the safety of the experts is assured. Switzerland also emphasises the necessity that the investigations be carried out by impartial authorities.
Furthermore, through its chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Switzerland is also coordinating the organisation's measures. The OSCE special monitoring mission in Ukraine is present with a team in order to reach the crash site. The OSCE is investigating possibilities as to how it can help to set up a humanitarian corridor so that the victims can be recovered and identified and an impartial investigation into the tragic plane crash can start as soon as possible.
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