By Danial Azhar and Ashley Tang
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he discussed the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow, days after a U.N. report found Russia responsible for the disaster.
A U.N. aviation council found this week that Russia was responsible for the downing of MH17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014 during fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
Moscow has rejected the International Civil Aviation Organization Council’s (ICAO) findings on the crash that killed all 298 passengers and crew, calling the ruling biased.
Anwar said in a Facebook post late on Wednesday that he would continue to press for accountability over the disaster.
“Malaysia remains resolute in ensuring accountability and a just resolution for the victims and their families who continue to bear the weight of this tragedy,” he said.
Anwar said that in the meeting Putin expressed condolences to the families of those killed, which included 196 Dutch citizens, 43 Malaysians and 38 Australian citizens or residents.
Putin called for a thorough and comprehensive investigation that is not politicised, Anwar said.
“I mentioned that this is a report made by ICAO, to which he (Putin) replied that from the beginning, he had requested that the investigation be independent and thorough.”
Anwar said Putin told him that Russia is ready to provide its cooperation to ensure that the report is more credible or authoritative.
Dutch prosecutors accused Russia in a 2020 court case of trying to sabotage an investigation into the crash. The court later convicted two Russian intelligence agents and a Ukrainian separatist leader in absentia for their roles in the attack.
Anwar is in Russia for a three-day visit aimed at strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, agriculture, education, aerospace and energy.
(Reporting by Danial Azhar and Ashley Tang in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Alasdair Pal and Tom Hogue)
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