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The United Nations Security Council failed to adopt a resolution on 29 July in New York that would allow to set up International Criminal Tribunal  to establish responsibility for the crime associated with Malaysia Airlines plane MH17 downing. Minister Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the United Nations Dainius Baublys expressed his regret for Russia’s action which had denied a possibility for the families of the victims to bring perpetrators to justice. Lithuania will support further efforts to ensure perpetrators’ accountability for the disaster.

“Last year, the UN Security Council resolution 2166 calling for an answer from the Security Council to this heinous crime, which threatens international peace and security, was adopted unanimously,” the representative of Lithuania reminded the Council meeting. “An International Tribunal would have been the best way to ensure impartiality, independence of the process,” said Baublys. He also pointed out that the Dutch-led independent international investigation enjoyed full trust and confidence by the concerned countries, the international community and was consistent with procedures and standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization as well as the Chicago Convention.

According to the Lithuanian representative, the unhindered flow of arms and fighters into the sovereign territory of Ukraine created conditions for the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 disaster. He stressed the need to implement the Minsk Agreements, as the OSCE monitoring mission was denied access to the Ukrainian–Russian border, large concentrations of heavy weapons were registered, illegally detained persons, including the Ukrainian Air Force pilot Nadia Savchenko, were not released yet.

11 countries of the UN Security Council, including Lithuania, voted in favour of the resolution. Three countries — China, Angola and Venezuela — abstained. Malaysia introduced the draft of the UN Security Council on behalf of the Joint Investigation Team consisting of Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ukraine and Malaysia. On 21 July 2014, the UN Security Council adopted the resolution 2166 stressing the need for a full, thorough and independent investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 and demanding that those responsible be held to account.

Photo: UN Photo