Malaysia PM headed to Netherlands to secure crash site

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will travel to the Netherlands next week to discuss securing investigators full access to the Ukrainian crash site where a Malaysian Airlines jet was downed last week.

In a statement Saturday, Najib said he would meet with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Wednesday to also weigh whether Malaysian pathologists can be of assistance in “expediting the process of identifying the human remains,” according to the Associated Press.

{mosads}One hundred and ninety-three Dutch nationals and 43 Malaysians died when Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine July 17. Pro-Russian rebels have been blamed for shooting down the plane by much of the international community.

Najib said pro-Russian rebels in control of the crash site secured two conditions in a deal struck with Russia, including securing the exchange of the plane’s black boxes and the remains of the victims.

“The first two conditions have been met,” Najib said.

“My priority now is to ensure the third part of the deal is honored, and that international investigators are given full and secure access to the site. This will require the cooperation of those in control of the crash site and the Ukrainian armed forces.”

The Malaysian team believes nearly 30 more investigators are needed to conduct a full investigation. “Unfortunately, events on the ground – including ongoing fighting between Ukrainian and separatist forces – prevent such a large contingent of investigators being deployed,” the statement said.