COPENHAGEN, 18 July 2014 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) issued the following statement today on the crash of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine:

"I deplore in the strongest possible terms the apparent downing of a Malaysian Airlines flight near Ukraine's border with Russia. On behalf of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this horrific tragedy and to the governments whose nationals have perished.

"A swift, thorough, international investigation is needed to determine the exact circumstances of the crash and bring the perpetrators to justice. However, there are already strong indications that a missile launched from rebel-controlled areas may have caused this catastrophe. In that case, there would be no doubt that those responsible for the illicit flow of military hardware and weapons into eastern Ukraine and those who directly or indirectly challenge the Ukrainian government's authority over its own territory bear the ultimate responsibility. I reiterate my call for an unconditional ceasefire that is respected by all sides and urge the governments in Moscow and Kyiv to do all in their power to immediately de-escalate this situation."

President Kanerva futher urged the Russian and Ukrainian governments to enlist the OSCE's full support at this critical time.