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Immediate Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's phone call Hagel with the Netherlands' Minister of Defense Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaer

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel spoke today via telephone with the Netherlands' Minister of Defense Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert to offer his personal condolences for the 192 Dutch citizens who lost their lives on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

The secretary reiterated President Obama's pledge to support an international investigation into the incident.  The two leaders also discussed the security situation in Ukraine and the difficulty investigators are experiencing in gaining unimpeded and secure access to the crash site.

Minister Hennis-Plasschaert highlighted the Netherlands' desire to have the victims returned to their families as soon as possible, balanced with the need to support and complete a credible investigation.

The secretary and the minister discussed the importance of a strong and united response to the tragedy and promised to stay in touch regarding the situation in Ukraine.