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Azerbaijani president on his way back home from Russia after AZAL plane crash

According to the press service, Ilham Aliyev has ordered the relevant government agencies to investigate the causes of the crash and take urgent action

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev Pavel Bednyakov/POOL/TASS

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev

© Pavel Bednyakov/POOL/TASS

BAKU, December 25. /TASS/. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev decided to return to Baku from a Russia-hosted informal CIS summit after an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crashed in Kazakhstan, his press service said in a statement.

"President Ilham Aliev, who had departed for Russia to take part in an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in St. Petersburg, received a report about the plane crash while in Russian airspace, and ordered an immediate return," the statement reads.

According to the press service, the Azerbaijani president has ordered the relevant government agencies to investigate the causes of the crash and take urgent action.

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Azerbaijan Airlines says its ill-fated jet underwent full examination in October

The aircraft’s crew chief, Igor Kshnyakin, clocked more than 15,000 hours of flight time

Azerbaijani president on his way back home from Russia after AZAL plane crash

According to the press service, Ilham Aliyev has ordered the relevant government agencies to investigate the causes of the crash and take urgent action

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