Dutch PM: sanctions to be imposed if no free access to crash site ensured

World July 21, 2014, 16:36

If access was difficult in the next few days, any political, economic or financial measures might be taken against those who were directly or indirectly responsible for it, the premier says

THE HAGUE, July 21./ITAR-TASS/. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Monday that political and economic sanctions might be imposed against those who would hinder access for specialists to the Boeing crash site in eastern Ukraine.

"It is quite clear that Russia must use all its influence" to ensure free access to the airliner crash site, he said when speaking in the parliament.

If access was difficult in the next few days, any political, economic or financial measures might be taken against those who were directly or indirectly responsible for it, the premier said.

The flight recorders, the so-called black boxes, from the Boeing, the whereabouts of which were not known yet, should be sent to the International Civil Aviation Organization, he added.

Earlier, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters an agreement was reached that the Netherlands would coordinate the work to identify victims in Ukraine.

All the efforts were focused on sending the train to the territory controlled by Ukrainian authorities, he noted. He believes only after that, experts can begin the identification process.

A special group of medics, police and psychologists has begun working in the Netherlands to gather DNA samples from relatives. Specialists also gather information about scars, tattoos and other signs that may help in the identification.

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