Canadian, Iranian FMs speak over phone following Ukrainian plane crash

OTTAWA -- Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne had a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif Wednesday night, the Canadian Foreign Affairs Ministry said Thursday morning.

The two exchanged condolences for the victims of the crash of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 from both their countries, said the ministry in a statement.

The phone conversation came a day after the plane crashed shortly after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Iran. The crash killed all 176 people on board, including 63 Canadians.

In the conversation, Champagne stressed the need for Canadian officials to be quickly granted access to Iran to provide consular services, help with identification of the deceased and take part in the investigation of the crash.

Canada and Iran have not had formal diplomatic relations since Canada closed its embassy in Iran in 2012. Iranian diplomats were expelled from Canada then.