PM honours Australian MH17 victims at memorial service in Sydney

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Governor-General Peter Cosgrove have paid tribute to the Australian victims of the MH17 tragedy at a service in Sydney.

The pair attended a special mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, honouring the estimated 36 Australian citizens and permanent residents who perished when the Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down.

Speaking after the memorial, Mr Abbott said the national commemorative service will take place in a couple of weeks’ time, “when the families and loved ones of those who are dead have had more time to come to terms with their grief.”

“Then, we will come together as a nation in sorrow and solidarity,” he said.

Mr Abbott is due to address an international AIDS conference in Melbourne this afternoon.

World-renowned AIDS researcher Joep Lange, 60, was among those travelling to Melbourne for the conference on MH17.

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