Five countries participating in the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on the inquiry into the downing of flight MH17 have signed a memorandum that will help set up a tribunal to punish those responsible for the death of 298 passengers, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported.

"On September 20, 2017, on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and the Netherlands signed a memorandum of understanding between the government of Australia, the government of the Kingdom of Belgium, the government of Malaysia, the government of the Netherlands and the government of Ukraine on political support for the criminal prosecution of persons responsible for the downing of flight MH17 on July 17, 2014," the ministry reported on Thursday.

The report notes that the signing of the memorandum is the next step in the development of a mechanism to prosecute those guilty of the plane crash after the agreed decision by the JIT states on criminal proceedings in the case on the shooting down of flight MH17 within the Dutch judicial system was announced on July 5, 2017.

"The memorandum aims to ensure coordination of the position of the JIT countries and providing, together with the countries whose citizens are victims of the tragedy, as well as international partners, all possible support and assistance to the Netherlands in bringing criminals to account," reads the statement.

The basis for the implementation of the decision on the transfer of the proceedings from Ukraine to the Netherlands is an agreement between Ukraine and the Netherlands on international legal cooperation in relation to crimes related to the shooting down of flight MH17, which was signed in Tallinn on July 7, 2017.

The Foreign Ministry recalled that the creation of an international tribunal on the basis of the UN Security Council decision was vetoed by Russia in the summer of 2015.