Finding common ground with Russia a challenge, Dutch FM says

There is no new Cold War between the West and Russia on the way, but finding "common ground" remains a challenge, Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs said in a press conference after meeting his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Friday. The Russians reaffirmed their cooperation in prosecuting those responsible for the MH17 disaster, he added, ANP reports.

Blok emphasized that, especially in difficult times like these, it is important that Europe and Russia stay in conversation with each other.

Before the meeting, Blok said that the MH17 disaster is on the top of his list of topics to discuss with Lavrov.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17th, 2014. All 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch, were killed. So far investigation by the Dutch Safety Board and the Joint Investigation Team, comprised of the five countries most affected by the disaster, revealed that the plane was shot down by a Russian BUK missile fired from a field in the Ukraine that was controlled by pro-Russian separatists at the time. The investigators also managed to track the transport of the missile from Russia to the field, and back to Russia after the disaster.

In the past Moscow always criticized the investigation into the downing of MH17. Blok made it clear to Lavrov that the Russians always questioning the investigation into the downing of the flight is painful for the family members of those who died in the disaster, according to ANP.