Poland to ask Russia about reasons for not returning Smolensk wreckage
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
07.02.2017 12:24
Poland will ask Russia about its reasons for not returning the wreckage of the presidential plane which crashed in Smolensk in 2010, the Polish foreign minister has said.
The site of the Polish presidential plane crash in 2010. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
“We will send Russian authorities a note asking what investigations have been performed over the last year which forced them to keep the wreckage of the Tu-154M plane,” Waszczykowski said on Tuesday, adding that if Poland does not receive a positive response, “we will file a complaint to The Hague over the seizure Polish property”.
The presidential plane which crashed on 10 April 2010 in western Russia was carrying 96 people on board. All died, including president Lech Kaczyński, as well as top military and government officials.
Russia has not yet returned the wreckage of the plane despite several requests from Poland.
Despite having issued an official report several years ago, Moscow maintains that it is still conducting an investigation running in parallel with a Polish probe. Russia claims to be investigating the same issues which are being studied by a newly appointed commission of experts in Poland.
It claims that until the Polish authorities conclude their probe, the wreckage of the plane will be needed by Russia for its investigation, and therefore cannot be returned. (rg/pk)