Dutch PM Rutte cuts short India visit, to return home

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has cut short his visit to India and returning to the Netherlands tonight, official sources told PTI.

Rutte arrived in India today on a two-day visit. 

Reports said the Dutch PM was returning home after investigators concluded the Malaysian Airlines flight 17 which was downed in Ukraine in 2014 was hit by missile from a Russian military unit.

The plane which had 298 people on board crashed into a territory held by pro-Russian separatists. Two-thirds of the passengers in the flight were Dutch. There were no survivors.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rutte had held delegation-level talks to step up economic and political ties between the two countries.

The Dutch PM was scheduled to visit Bengaluru on Thursday night to attend programmes there on Friday. 

(with PTI inputs)