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U.S. hopes Russian-Polish ties remain unaffected by Kaczynski plane crash

21 January 2011 04:45 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. U.S. hopes that controversies surrounding the probe into last year’s Polish presidential crash in western Russia will not affect ties between Russia and Poland, a U.S. State Department spokesman said on Friday, APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.
"We understand the sensitivities, the emotions that sorting through these issues can create," Philip Crowley said. "At this point, we certainly would hope that the investigation of this tragedy does not in any way impede improved relations between Russia and Poland."
Crowley said the crash "has been fully investigated" and remained "a matter between Russia and Poland."
"I’m not aware that the United States has been asked to provide any particular assistance in the investigation of this accident. But, obviously, we are prepared to help in any way that either Poland or Russia would contemplate."
Russia’s aviation authorities released a report last week citing the pilot error as the main cause of the tragedy, which killed then President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others near the city of Smolensk last April. The report aroused criticism from Polish experts and officials as lacking in evidence.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the following day that Poland might have to turn to international agencies if the two sides fail to agree on the causes of the crash.