An armed pro-Russian separatist takes pictures at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. (Reuters photo)
European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini today said states that are in a position to assist with the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the downing of flight MH17 must fully cooperate with the ongoing criminal investigation.
She made the remarks after the Dutch Safety Board earlier today presented a report on the downing of the flight on July 17, 2014, Xinhua reported.
"The report concludes that MH17 was hit by a Buk missile, and explicitly rules out other options. Moreover, the report defines a 320 square km area in eastern Ukraine from where the missile was launched. Thus, it puts an end to 15 months of speculation over a number of key facts related to the crash," said Ms Mogherini in a statement.
"The EU reiterates its full support to the work of the Joint Investigation Team and to the ongoing efforts to establish an effective prosecution mechanism to ensure that the perpetrators of the downing of the flight MH17 are identified and brought to justice," she said.
Ms Mogherini noted that UN Security Council resolution 2166 stipulated that those directly or indirectly responsible for the downing of MH17 must be held accountable and brought to justice. To this end, a criminal investigation has been launched by the Joint Investigation Team.