Ukrainian Rebels Hand Over Black Boxes to Malaysian Investigators

Najib Razak said that he had reached an agreement with Alexander Borodei, the self-appointed 'Prime Minister' of Donetsk

Malaysian Prime Minster Najib Razak announced Monday that he had reached an agreement with the leader of a pro-Russian separatist group to return bodies, hand over black boxes, and let independent international investigators access the site where Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down last week.

Razak said he and Alexander Borodei, the self-appointed 'Prime Minister' of the 'Donetsk People's Republic', had reached a consensus on the three major priorities in the aftermath of the deadly crash, which he described as 'securing evidence from the aircraft, launching an independent investigation and above all recovering the remains of those who lost their lives.'

According to their agreement, representatives from the Netherlands and Malaysia will accompany the bodies of the passengers as they're recovered from the site and moved by train to the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, and then flown to Amsterdam. Remains of Malaysian citizens will then be flown home to Malaysia, Razak said.

In addition, Razak said Borodei had agreed to let a Malaysian team of investigators take custody of the plane's two black boxes, and would guarantee independent international investigators access to the crash site.

Razak said that despite the tentative agreement, 'there is work still to be done ... which relies on continual communication in good faith.' He called on all parties to 'continue to work together to make sure this agreement will be honored,' adding that 'only then can victims be afforded the respect they deserve.'

'For the families, nothing can undo this damage,' said the Prime Minister, who reportedly lost a relative in the crash. 'The lives taken cannot be given back. The dignity lost can't be regained. My heart reaches out to those whose loved ones were taken on MH17.'