Joint Statement on the crash of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17
The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, made a statement on Thursday's airliner crash in Ukraine.
"We are shocked by the crash of the Malaysian airliner in Ukraine and the tragic loss of so many lives. Citizens from many nationalities including from the European Union have been killed.
On behalf of the European Union, we wish to convey our deepest condolences to the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands, Malaysia, to the governments of all other affected nations, and to the families of the victims.
We call for an immediate and thorough investigation into the causes of the crash. The facts and responsibilities need to be established as quickly as possible. The European Union will continue to follow this issue very closely."