Kremlin attaches no importance to absence of condolences from Obama over plane crash

The Kremlin does not attach any importance to the absence of condolences from US President Barack Obama on the Russian airliner's crash in Egypt, US Secretary of State John Kerry conveyed the condolences from the entire American people, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"While talking to [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov, Kerry conveyed sympathies from the entire American people," the Kremlin spokesman said, answering a question whether the U.S. president had personally offered his condolences. "Perhaps, this should be explained not by the Kremlin," Peskov noted. "For us the main thing now is the work to assist families who lost their loved ones in the plane crash, and we are focusing on this," the presidential spokesman said answering a question on the attitude of the Russian authorities to the fact that Obama had not offered condolences personally.

Peskov added that numerous messages of condolences on the plane crash had been received from abroad.

He declined to comment on media reports on the heat flashes allegedly registered by satellites at the site of the crash of the Russian passenger jet or the foreign objects found with the debris. "Just like you, I Iearned [about this] from media reports. The investigation is in progress, we conduct a separate investigation, the investigation is also underway in Egypt," Peskov said.

The Kremlin spokesman added that "a number of countries indeed offered their assistance in investigating the causes of the plane crash." Peskov pointed to the international rules of investigating air crashes, according to which the investigation may involve a country of [aircraft] registration, a country of manufacture, a country where the tragedy occurred and the countries whose citizens lost their lives.
[tass.ru]
3/11/15
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