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Baku creates international group to investigate plane crash — president

According to the Azerbaijani presidential press service, Aliyev mentioned this during a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin

BAKU, December 28. /TASS/. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that at Baku’s initiative, an international group of experts was created which will participate in the investigation into the causes of the crash of a passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines near Aktau in Kazakhstan.

According to the Azerbaijani presidential press service, Aliyev mentioned this during a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

"President Ilham Aliyev announced that, at Azerbaijan's initiative, a team of international experts has been formed to investigate the causes of the accident in detail, and this team has already begun its work," the press service said.

"The heads of state also reaffirmed that the investigation into the tragedy will be conducted with full transparency, with regular updates provided to the public," the Azerbaijani presidential press service concluded.

The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25. The plane carried 67 people, including 62 passengers, mainly citizens of Azerbaijan, as well as nationals of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and five crew members. According to the latest reports, 38 people, including seven Russians, were killed, while 29 others survived. A special flight sent by Russia’s Emergencies Ministry has transported nine Russian citizens, including a child, injured in the air crash, from Aktau.

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