MOSCOW, April 16. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine will hardly preserve unity without all regions in the country involved in national dialogue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Argumenty i Fakty newspaper.
“A large-scale domestic political crisis breaking out in Ukraine showed emphatically deep discrepancies between the southeast and the west of the country in their choice of a vector for further development,” the minister stated, noting that “This shows an unstable model of state system which Kiev had chosen earlier.”
“In fact, a unitary state in Ukraine ceased to work,” he noted, adding that “Its foundations were shaken by a series of political cataclysms that had been shuddering the country for many years.” In the view of Lavrov, one of the main reasons for this situation “is the absence of a well-balanced Ukrainian fundamental law which would take into account adequately interests of all ethnic and language groups and would ensure rights and interests of all Ukrainian citizens.”
“It cannot be recognized as a normal situation when after each presidential elections the Constitution had been changed in the country fixing some system of government depending on a desire of political forces who had won at that moment,” the Russian foreign minister noted, adding that “Therefore, federalisation is a path for each region to feel comfortably and will feel its rights ensured and traditions and a habitual way of life protected.”
“Certainly, no one can impose a scheme of organising a state system on Ukraine,” the Russian top diplomat said, adding that “But Ukrainians should begin dialogue making it all-embracing and comprehensive.” “All regions and political forces in Ukraine should participate in it on par, have equal rights in settling pressing issues,” Lavrov noted, adding that “All this should be reflected in a reformed Constitution which would be taken by a poly-ethnic Ukrainian society as reliable foundations of a rule-of-law state intended for a far future.”
Moscow “is convinced that without this Ukraine will hardly preserve unity and will settle urgent tasks to resolve a current heavy crisis,” the Russian minister stated.