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Lavrov, Steinmeier discuss security of Russian diplomatic missions in Ukraine

On September 10, Ukraine’s president said it is impossible to organize the Russian parliamentary elections in Ukraine on September 18

© Donat Sorokin/TASS

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MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/. Kiev’s observance of its liabilities concerning ensuring security of Russian diplomatic missions in Ukraine, especially on the day of Russian parliamentary elections, were in focus of a telephone conversation between Russian and German Foreign Ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday.

"The ministers discussed various aspects of the situation in Ukraine, including the tasks of promoting the ceasefire regime in the zone of the intra-Ukrainian conflict," the ministry said. "They also discussed issues concerning Ukraine’s observance of its liabilities on ensuring security of Russian diplomatic missions, especially in the light of forthcoming elections to the Russian State Duma on September 18."

Lavrov called on Steinmeier, who is the current Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), to use the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine to monitor the situation around the Russian embassy in Kiev and consulates general in Lvov, Odessa and Kharkov.

"Sergei Lavrov called to use the OSCE SMM’s possibilities to monitor the situation around the Russian embassy in Kiev and consulates general in Lvov, Odessa and Kharkov on the voting day," the ministry said.

On September 10, Ukraine’s President Pyotr Poroshenko ordered to notify Russia it is impossible to organize the Russian parliamentary elections in Ukraine on September 18, the president’s press secretary Svyatoslav Tsegolko said.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maryana Betsa said that voting for the candidates to the State Duma on the premises of Russia’s diplomatic and consular missions would run counter to the Ukrainian and international legislation.

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Ukraine crisis Foreign policy Russia's domestic policy Duma election 2016

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