On December 27, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had a telephone conversation with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The presidents exchanged condolences and expressed words of support to the families of those killed in the crash of an Azerbaijani passenger plane in Kazakhstan’s Mangistau region.
On December 25, the Embraer 190 of the Azerbaijan Airlines with 62 passengers and five crew, which was headed from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechnya region, crashed near the city of Aqtau in western Kazakhstan after crossing the Caspian Sea, killing 38 passengers and crew. The 62 passengers on the flight included 37 people from Azerbaijan, 16 from Russia, six from Kazakhstan, and three from Kyrgyzstan.
Tokayev shared information on the progress of the special state commission investigating the tragedy and assured that the Kazakh side would make every effort to ensure a comprehensive and objective clarification of all the circumstances of the air crash. Aliyev thanked the Government of Kazakhstan for the prompt measures taken to conduct search and rescue operations and provide emergency assistance to the victims.
In a phone call with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov thanked his Kazakh counterpart for his condolences and expressed condolences to the families of Kazakhstan citizens who died in the crash. Minister Bayramov also thanked the brotherly people of Kazakhstan for their assistance after the tragedy.
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are showing a high example of solidarity and mutual assistance, the Kazakh Ambassador to Baku, Alim Bayel said after the tragedy, Azeri media reported.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan share joy and sorrow together,” said the Kazakh Ambassador.
He added that, on the instructions of Presidents Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Ilham Aliyev, the competent authorities of the fraternal countries are jointly taking all necessary measures to investigate the causes of the plane crash and provide first aid.
“The government agencies of the two countries are coordinating the processes; rescuers, doctors and transport workers worked promptly. Many caring citizens of Kazakhstan prayed, donated blood and brought flowers to the diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan in Aqtau and Astana,” the Ambassador said.
According to the Ambassador, this tragedy has demonstrated that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are allies not in words, but in deeds.
Photo: gov.kz
