Putin mourns crash of Azerbaijani plane at CIS meeting...Order the dispatch of medical staff.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences over the deaths of more than 30 people in the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner at an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the CIS.

At the start of the CIS informal summit on the 25th local time, Putin said "a tragedy has happened in Aktau, Kazakhstan" and expressed his condolences to the victims' families.

He then stressed that he hopes for the speedy recovery of the injured as well as that he is confident that a thorough investigation will take place.

Putin ordered the dispatch of a rescue plane carrying Russian medics and special equipment to the scene of the accident.

The CIS informal summit is an annual event in which the leaders of Russia and other former Soviet states meet ahead of the New Year to talk in an informal atmosphere and discuss international issues.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who was earlier heading to Russia to attend the meeting, hurriedly returned home after hearing about the accident in Russian airspace.