International reactions to the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shootdown  The shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on 17 July 2014 provoked reactions from many countries and organisations. Argentinian President Cristina Fernández expressed her deep condolence to the families of the victims and called for an independent and fair investigation of the tragedy. The downing of the flight had resulted in the death of 38 Australian citizens and residents. In the lead up to the 2014 G20 meeting in Brisbane, Tony Abbott sought to focus attention on Russia's role in the shooting. In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the APEC meeting in Beijing, Abbott reportedly told the president that Australia had information that the missile that destroyed the plane had Russian origin and that Russia should consider apologising and offering appropriate restitution to the victims of the shooting. Russia continued to deny involvement. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stated that, after the release of the Dutch Safety Board report into the shoot-down, Australia "will not be bullied by Russia" and that "those who committed this crime must answer for it". Turnbull also stated in regards to the Russian veto at the UN Security Council that "we [Australia] deplore the conduct of Russia using its Security Council veto in July to block the establishment of a special international criminal tribunal". South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane urged world leaders not to jump to conclusions on the incident. President Jacob Zuma sent a message of condolence to Malaysia and called for independent investigation, saying: "We also extend our sympathies to the Government and the people of Malaysia, as well as all countries that have lost their citizens in the tragic crash. South Africa calls for a thorough, transparent and independent investigation to determine the cause of the incident". Since the crash, memorial services have been held in Australia and the Netherlands, with the Netherlands declaring a national day of mourning. The opening ceremony of the AIDS 2014 conference, of which several delegates were on board flight MH17, began with a tribute to the victims of the crash. In Malaysia, makeshift memorials were created in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.