KABUL (SW) – Afghanistan on Saturday endorsed formation of the International Coordination and Response Group for Families of Victims of PS752 hit down by Iran in Tehran.
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Idrees Zaman endorsed formation of the International Coordination and Response Group for Families of Victims of PS752, initiated by Canada.
Acting Foreign Minister Zaman joined a phone conversation with Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne of Canada and Foreign Ministers of other countries affected by the recent tragic incident of the Ukrainian Airlines plane in Iran during which they agreed to establish the International Coordination and Response Group for families of victims.
Given the latest announcement made by the Iranian government regarding the incident, the Group called on all countries affected by this tragedy to expand coordination and keep close contacts with a view to ensure both transparency and accountability as well as the provision of all the required information and assistance to the families of the victims.
Iran on Saturday said its military "unintentionally" fired a missile at a Ukrainian passenger plane because of "human error."
The Ukraine International Airlines airliner had flown close to a sensitive military site when it was brought down, reported Iranian state TV, citing a statement from Iran's armed forces.
According to the Iranian military's statement, the plane was mistaken for a "hostile target'' after it turned toward a "sensitive military center'' of the Revolutionary Guard. Iran's military forces were at their "highest level of readiness," after the US killed the Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike in Baghdad.
"In such a condition, because of human error and in an unintentional way, the flight was hit,'' the statement said, apologizing for the disaster and saying that the country would upgrade its systems to prevent such "mistakes'' in the future.
The military statement said those responsible would be held accountable.
ENDS