Tusk: Russian report on Polish plane crash 'unacceptable' - Summary

Fri, 17 Dec 2010

Warsaw/Moscow- A Russian report on the April plane crash that killed the Polish president and much of the country's political and military elite is "unacceptable," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday.

The plane carrying Lech Kaczynski and 95 other top officials to a ceremony commemorating the Soviet massacre of Polish officer in Katyn crashed into woods on April 10 in Smolensk, Russia.

"The draft report, from the Polish point of view, in the form it has been sent, is undoubtedly unacceptable," Tusk told reporters on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Brussels.

"The negligence, or mistakes, or the lack of a positive reaction to Poland's suggestions, all this allows us to say that some conclusions in this report are unfounded," he added.

According to Polish media reports, Russian flight experts have primarily blamed the pilot of the plane for the accident, given his decision to approach the landing strip despite heavy fog and warnings by air traffic controllers. In Poland, however, there has reportedly also been talk of alleged mistakes by the Russian airport personnel.

A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry warned against "politicizing" the situation. Russia is willing to cooperate, he told the Ekho Moskvy broadcaster.

"We will of course answer all questions from the Polish side," he said.

Tusk's statements came amid renewed efforts by Warsaw and Moscow to improve tense relations.

Poland and Russia have been cooperating on two separate probes into the crash. Russia recently sent Poland a draft report of their investigation into the crash. Poland on Thursday sent back its suggestions and comments on the report.

The two sides were aiming to prepare a final report into what caused the crash in Smolensk.

Although bad weather and poor visibility appear to be the most likely causes, pilot error and more sinister conspiracy theories have also circulated.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/358696,crash-unacceptable-summary.html.