All 38 Australians who died when Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was downed in eastern Ukraine have been formally identified, the federal government says.

Operation Bring Them Home will conclude in the coming weeks when the final remains of the victims are reunited with their families, after Dutch authorities confirmed the identities of the victims.

The prime minister, Tony Abbott, and the foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said in a joint statement on Saturday the victims of the tragedy had finally been accorded the dignity and respect they deserved.

“The successful recovery, identification and repatriation of the victims has been a painstaking and meticulous process,” the statement said. “It has been a tremendously difficult period for the families and for all Australians.

“After such a long wait, we can now be assured that the Australian victims have been accorded the dignity and respect they deserve.”

The Australian and Dutch governments continue to press for full implementation of United Nations security council resolution 2166, which was adopted in July and supports an independent investigation into the disaster.

The Dutch Safety Board and the Dutch Public Prosecution Service are also investigating.

MH17 went down in July in rebellion-torn eastern Ukraine killing all 298 aboard, including 38 Australians. It was believed to have been hit by a surface-to-air missile.

In November the international investigation into the downing of MH17 was extended by nine months, after the Dutch-led efforts to find out who shot down the passenger plane were hampered by the ongoing civil war and Russian intransigence.

Investigators will now have until August 2015 under a deal struck between Australia, the Netherlands, Ukraine and other nations.