Kiev should immediately stop using army against Ukraine population - Moscow
27 May 2014, 13:36 -- Stopping the use of the Armed Forces against the civilian population of Ukraine will become an 'endurance test' for the Kiev authorities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. 'Immediately stopping the use of the army against the population and ending any violence by all sides is the top priority task and 'endurance test' for the Kiev authorities,' he said at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Interfax reports.
'We will firmly insist on it, and we will insist on the implementation of all other principles of the adopted Geneva statement,' Lavrov said. Moscow respects the choice made by Ukrainian voters during the latest presidential elections, the Russian minister said.
'However, we also believe it is absolutely necessary to immediately implement the agreements reached in the Geneva statement of April 17 and stop any violence,' he said.
A Russian visit of Ukrainian president elect Petr Poroshenko is not on the table, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
'A Russian trip of Poroshenko is not being considered or discussed by diplomatic or any other channels,' Lavrov stated.
'As to the recent events, let me remind you that Petr Poroshenko made a promise to unite the country in his election campaign. He said yesterday his first trip would be made to Donbas but they have a real war there so far,' the foreign minister noted.
'He [Poroshenko] said that the so-called counterterrorist operation should be rapidly brought to an end but suggested that should be done through intensification,' Lavrov recalled.
'If there are plans to suppress resistance in the southeast by the army powered with heavy armaments, the National Guard, Right Sector and their ilk before the inauguration of Petr Poroshenko so that he comes to Donbas as a victor, I do not think that will create a good environment for the cordial welcome to the Donetsk region,' he said.
'The military operations must be stopped immediately,' the minister stressed.
If Petr Poroshenko succeeds in establishing dialogue with citizens of Ukraine, including with residents of the southeastern regions, he will find a serious and reliable partner in Russia, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
'We hope he will act in the interests of the Ukrainian people as a whole. If this is the case, he will find a serious and reliable partner in Russia,' he said at a press conference in Moscow.
Lavrov said that international observers in Kiev, including representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, 'crowned their public assessment by a call on Mr. Poroshenko to use his new quality for ensuring the launch of a true dialogue with all in the southeast,' Lavrov said.
'They even urged him not to use labels such as 'terrorists' and 'separatists,' but instead establish dialogue, which will be truly inclusive, to use this popular word,' Lavrov said. 'It is the main criterion to be applied in testing the Kiev leadership's and Petr Poroshenko's personal intensions,' he said.
Moscow has called on Kiev to ratify a memorandum of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that guarantees the observance of the rights, immunity from criminal prosecution and privileges of OSCE staff working in Ukraine.
'Speaking through the media, I would like to draw attention to the fact that a memorandum between Ukraine and the OSCE that guarantees the rights, immunity and privileges of OSCE officials in Ukraine has not been ratified by the Verkhovna Rada so far,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday.
That is why 'when members of the OSCE mission go missing, there is still no legal framework to demand immediate measures to find them and ensure their security,' he said.
Four OSCE employees, including a Turkish citizen, have already disappeared in Ukraine, the Russian minister said.
'And now that Petr Poroshenko has pledged to resolve all problems, the Ukrainian authorities should at least start by ratifying the memorandum that guarantees the security and immunity of OSCE observers present on the territory of Ukraine,' Lavrov said.
Russia is hoping that the death of Russian citizen Andrei Mironov and Italian citizen Andrea Rochelli will be immediately investigated in Ukraine.
'The head of the OSCE Secretariat, including the special representative on freedom of the media, have already urged an immediate investigation into this event. Work is already being done on that. I hope that, unlike what happened in other incidents, measures will be taken as promptly as possible,' Lavrov said.
The minister said that 'the main thing for us is to ensure the transportation of the bodies.'
He said the Russian authorities are closely working with Italian officials on that. The minister said the best way would be to carry the bodies by plane, but it currently cannot be done for security reasons.
'We and our Italian colleagues have reached agreements with the help of our establishments in Ukraine and local authorities on the technical aspect of the transportation of the bodies by ground transport, We have transport equipped for this purpose,' Lavrov said.
However, Lavrov said that 'transportation by ground transport is currently not safe due to the continuing fighting.'
The minister said OSCE officials are now working on ensuring safety guarantees for the transport carrying the bodies.
Moscow and Brussels hope that the Ukrainian presidential elections will facilitate normalization.
On May 27 Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin met with chief of the European Union's mission in Moscow Vygaudas Usackas to discuss 'various aspects of the current political crisis in Ukraine in the context of the May 25 presidential elections,' the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
'The parties expressed the mutual hope that the May 25 presidential elections will mark the beginning of a new and more constructive period in the political life of the Ukrainian state,' the statement says.
'The Russian side made a point that the military operation in southeastern Ukraine must be stopped immediately and dialogue started with the region,' it said.
'Both parties said that the position of the monitoring mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe should evolve from contemplative to more active in accordance with the principles negotiated in Geneva on April 17 and with the OSCE's roadmap to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine,' the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Russia-Turkey ties on most foreign political trends fruitful - FM Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and visiting Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu will discuss issues of Ukraine and Syria and preparation to a meeting of the bilateral top-level co-operation council at a meeting of the joint strategic planning group. Lavrov said this on Tuesday opening the meeting in the Russian capital.
'Along with the intergovernmental commission for trade and economic co-operation and a civil forum our task is to prepare in detail a meeting of a top-level co-operation council which will be held in the second half of this year,' he said.
'We assume that according to our agreements at this meeting we will consider the situation in bilateral issues, drafting of intergovernmental and interdepartmental documents and will debate topical issues on international agenda,' Lavrov noted, adding that 'Our foreign political agenda is traditionally intensive and our co-operation brings a positive result on most trends and permits to move forward.'
The Russian foreign minister added that this also concerned current situation in the Middle East, including Syria, North Africa, the Transcaucasia and Central Asia, TASS reports.
'Certainly, we will continue discussion that our leaders began on Ukraine and everything that is related with the country,' Lavrov added.
For his part, Davutoglu noted that the strategic planning joint group would give an opportunity to discuss regularly topical international and regional issues.
'Ukraine is our common neighbor. We will take an opportunity to synchronize positions on this issue,' he said.
'Our relations are at a very high level in political, economic and cultural spheres,' Davutoglu added.
After the meeting, Sergei Lavrov stated that Russia and Turkey noted successful progress of implementing the South Stream gas project and construction of the first Turkish nuclear power plant Akkuyu.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
