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Kremlin Says Putin Agrees To 'Short' Meeting With Australian PM


Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on November 8 that he will have a "robust" conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin about downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 when they meet at a Beijing summit.

The Kremlin on November 7 confirmed Putin has agreed to meet with Abbott, who has been promising since last month to confront the Russian leader about the deaths of Australians in the tragedy.

The meeting is expected on November 11 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Putin's foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov says "it will be short."

Abbott said he will demand that Russia "be as good as its word, that it will fully cooperate with the investigations that are under way, and that it will do what it can to ensure that justice is done."

The plane was flying from Amsterdam to Malaysia when it was shot down over territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatist fighters.

Based on reporting by AFP, Interfax, and TASS

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