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Viktor Yanukovich urges opposition to start dialogue

Ex-premier Yulia Timoshenko said, “Don’t let Yanukovich to make violence a norm of our life. I address every Ukrainian - Rise against!"

KIEV, December 12, (ITAR-TASS). Ukraine’s power and the society expect what response the opposition will give to President Viktory Yanukovich’s proposal to urge “representatives of all political forces, the clergy and the public” to start a nationwide dialogue.

The opposition intends to respond on Thursday, December 12. But it intends to stand ground to the death.

Ex-premier Yulia Timoshenko said, “Don’t let Yanukovich to make violence a norm of our life. I address every Ukrainian - Rise against! No talks, no round-table meetings with them (power). Yanukovich and his entourage must resign immediately.”

In order to reach a compromise the president urged the opposition “not to give up my proposal”. “I’m ready to take part in a round-table meeting,” Yanukovich said.

Many experts believe that Yanukovich “was late a little”. Protesters on Independence Square in Kiev garnered for international support. The West recognises the opposition leaders and protesters as a comprehensive party of talks.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, who is currently in Kiev, said talks with the society, the opposition and the former Ukrainian presidents proved that police’s actions made the political dialogue more difficult than earlier.

Ashton urged the Ukrainian authorities to establish dialogue with the opposition so as to defuse the current political tensions in the country.

Baroness Ashton clarified the Europeans’ position on the issue, saying the EU was promulgating a type of dialogue, in which people could utilize their right to peaceful demonstrations and meetings instead of provoking the incidents that would only instigate new protests.

Ashton said she could conclude from she had heard from Yanukovich that something important was to be done in the coming 24 hours. According to the Baroness, he kept stressing his relentless intention to see strong ties between Ukraine and the European Union.

She stressed the importance of a serious discussion along with making progress by maximally peaceful methods.

The Ukrainian government should work out a stance and release the people who have been detained, Baroness Ashton said, calling on the officials to launch a dialogue with people and leaders of society.

Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov pledged not to use force against the pro-European protesters in Kiev.

“That will not happen! We are not going to use force against the demonstrators,” Azarov said on Wednesday, December 11.

“We should stop and sort things out calmly. “There is not a single problem out of those that caused protests and confrontation that will not lend itself to a fair solution through mutual understanding,” Azarov said.

“The country needs revolutionary expediency, the country needs stability. It is necessary to carry out transparent investigation and punish the culprits. We need more practical work to create better conditions for association and a free trade zone with the European Union,” the Ukrainian prime minister said. He added that the authorities were focused on achieving that goal.

“The authorities are open for dialogue, public control and interaction,” the premier said.

Opposition leaders Arseny Yatsenyuk, Vitali Klitschko and Oleg Tyagnibok set an ultimatum: Ukraine’s power must release arrested protesters, punish those who are guilty of dispersing students on Maidan Nezalezhnosti on November 30 and dismiss Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko in order to start talks and the government led by Nikolai Azarov, form a technical government and begin preparations for early parliamentary and presidential elections.