Belgium to Study Russia's Request for A321 Probe Aid Once Received

The Belgian authorities could assist Russia in finding responsible for the downing of the A321 jet in Egypt, if Brussels receives any formal request from Moscow, according to Didier Vanderhasselt, a spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Belgian authorities would consider providing assistance to Russia in finding those responsible for the downing of the A321 passenger jet in Egypt if Moscow sent such a request, a spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked the Russian Foreign Ministry to turn to all its partners around the world for aid in A321 crash probe after Russian Federal Security Service ruled a terror attack downed the Russian passenger jet.

"After consultation of our relevant services, we haven’t been able to trace any formal request from the Russian authorities. Once we get it, it is evident that we will look into this," Didier Vanderhasselt said.

According to Russian Federal Security Service head Alexander Bortnikov, a homemade explosive device with an equivalent of 1 kilogram of TNT was the cause of the crash that killed 224 people over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on October 31.

Russian Special Services have offered $50 million for information on those responsible for the terrorist act of the A321 passenger plane.