Azerbaijan says EU supports its position on thorough investigation into Kazakhstan plane crash

ISTANBUL

Baku said Thursday that the EU expressed support for its position on the need for a thorough investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash at the end of last year.

A statement by the Azerbaijan presidency said European Council President Antonio Costa conveyed Brussels’ support during a telephone conversation with Ilham Aliyev, during which he extended his condolences.

President Aliyev "expressed his gratitude for the condolences," it said.

Aliyev and Costa also exchanged views on issues of transport between Azerbaijan and the EU, particularly along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

The Middle Corridor, as the route is also known, is a network of railways and roads that start in Türkiye and covers Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea and Central Asia, and reaches China, making it an important effort to revive the ancient Silk Road.

The statement said the project to create a green energy corridor connecting the Caspian and Black Sea basins, as well as bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, were among the subjects addressed during the talks.

An AZAL plane, en route from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Grozny in Russia's Chechen Republic, crashed Dec. 25 about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the Kazakh city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea coast, killing 38 of 67 people onboard.

While an investigation into the crash is underway, initial statements said a bird collision might have caused the Embraer 190 aircraft to crash, though footage from the site revealed large holes in the tail section of the aircraft, leading to speculation of a possible attack.

A day after the incident, senior Azerbaijani officials confirmed to Anadolu reports suggesting the crash was caused by a Russian missile system.

Russian President Vladimir Putin later held a phone conversation with Aliyev, during which he apologized for the incident above Russian airspace and offered condolences.

A day later, Aliyev said the crashed plane’s tail was severely damaged as a result of “weapons fire from the ground,” demanding that Moscow issue an “acknowledgment of guilt, punishment of those responsible, and payment of compensation.”