Foreign affairs minister in London to chair meeting on plane crash

LONDON — Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is chairing a meeting in London today that the federal government hopes will lead to justice and financial compensation for the families of the victims of a Ukrainian jet shot down by Iran.

All 176 people aboard were killed last week, including at least 89 with ties to Canada.

Champagne is meeting with representatives of four other countries that lost citizens in the crash — Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and Britain.

The meeting will open with a moment of reflection to remember the victims.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau says Iran is co-operating with the two Canadian investigators on the scene, but he wants Canada to have official standing in the international investigation.

On Wednesday, the prime minister’s parliamentary secretary said the government was exploring options for compensating victims’ families in the interim because the international process could drag on for years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2020.

The Canadian Press