Iran, Ukraine Hold New Round of Talks on Plane Crash

The second round of negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Ukraine about the Ukrainian plane crash began in Tehran on Monday.

The meeting was co-chaired by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs Mohsen Baharvand, who heads the Iranian delegation, and by Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevgheniy Yenin, head of the Ukrainian delegation.

The participants started Monday’s negotiations with a minute's silence to honor the victims of the plane crash.

In the gathering, the head of the Iranian delegation expressed sympathy with the families of victims of the plane crash, saying, “The Ukrainian plane was shot due to human error, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will try to assure the Ukrainian side of this as well.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s stance is based upon transparency, as it has nothing to hide about this incident and is ready to genuinely inform the Ukrainian people and delegation about details of the incident,” Baharvand stated.

Iran and Ukraine are two friends that have sadly experienced such an incident, he said, adding that the two countries should now reach an agreement at the negotiating table.

Baharvand also reaffirmed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s determination to take punitive action and punish those at fault, ensure justice, and pay compensation to the families of victims.

For his part, the Ukrainian deputy foreign minister commended Iran for its warm welcome despite the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, hailed as positive the first round of negotiations in Kiev, and praised Iran for its cooperation and efforts to ensure justice.

The expert negotiations between Iran and Ukraine about the plane crash will go on for two days.

The Kiev-bound UIA Boeing 737 crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran on January 8, killing all 176 people on board, mostly Iranian and Canadian citizens.

Iran said the plane was hit by an anti-aircraft missile due to human error.