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Russian upper house speaker urges talks between two sides of Ukraine conflict

Negotiations alongside political and diplomatic measures may be “the only real way towards peace and harmony”, says Valentina Matviyenko

Russia’s parliamentary upper house speaker Valentina Matviyenko ITAR-TASS/Alexei Nikolsky

Russia’s parliamentary upper house speaker Valentina Matviyenko

© ITAR-TASS/Alexei Nikolsky

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MANILA, November 10. /TASS/. There are legitimate authorities on both sides of the conflict in Ukraine, who can agree on all of the issues in dispute, including the status of the country’s south-east and the possibility of a constitutional reform, Russia’s parliamentary upper house speaker Valentina Matviyenko said on Monday.

“Presidential and parliamentary elections have taken place in Ukraine. We have recognized their legitimacy,” Matviyenko told members of the Philippine parliament. “And just ten days ago, Donetsk and Luhansk also held local elections. We respect their results and believe that there are currently legitimate authorities on both sides, who should come to the negotiating table and agree on all issues, including the status of south-eastern regions and implementation of a constitutional reform.”

Negotiations alongside political and diplomatic measures may be “the only real way towards peace and harmony”, Matviyenko said, adding that the most important thing was that no “non-regional forces” interfered in the process.

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Foreign policy Ukraine Valentina Matviyenko

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