Brussels, 22/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - “We have reached a point of no return” after the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 with 298 passengers and crew on board, which was shot down by an SA-11 missile, said Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Minister Paulo Klimkin during a hearing with the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on Tuesday 22 July. He reiterated the Ukrainian government's commitment to a political solution and said he was ready to speak with the people of Donbass. He also called on the EU to show solidarity with his country - which is paying “for its European choices”.
Pieter De Gooijer, the Netherlands' ambassador, believed that the plane crash showed that the conflict in Ukraine “is affecting us all”. His government's top priority is to repatriate the bodies from Wednesday 23 July. Then, an urgent investigation is expected given that the weather and the presence of non-professionals on the site could alter the evidence. Esther de Lange MEP (EPP, the Netherlands) stated that proportionally the Netherlands had lost more citizens in the Malaysia Airlines crash than the Americans had on 11 September 2001.
“We must focus on dialogue to find a solution to the conflict”, ask Russia “to withdraw its troops that are still busy gathering at the borders”, and put an end to the flow “of arms and personnel”, said Gunnar Wigand, Director at the European External Action Service (EEAS), who believes “our relations with Russia will bear the consequences of these actions”. Michael Gahler MEP (EPP, Germany) and Petras Austrevicius MEP (ALDE, Lithuania) called for the suspension of the sale of the Mistral warships from France. Victor Bostinaru MEP (S&D, Romania) believed that it was necessary to break off the South Stream gas pipeline project. Aymeric Chauprade MEP (non-attached, France) said that conclusions should not be drawn before the investigation was finished and that no accusations should be made without proof. Elmar Brok MEP, the chair of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, called for a European summit to be held - or at least a conference call - before the end of the week. (EL/CG)