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Kiev to raise the issue of UN office in Ukraine — Ukraine UN ambassador

"That’s what we need, but it hadn’t happened yet. We will try to bring up this issue at upcoming briefing and also in the debate on the 21st," Vladimir Yelchenko said

UNITED NATIONS, February 2. /TASS/. Ukraine plans to once again bring up the issue of opening a UN office in the country to encourage a peace settlement in Donbass, an office that would report to the Security Council, Ukrainian UN Ambassador Vladimir Yelchenko said on Wednesday.

He said the UN could actively contribute to the settlement in Donbass "if the UN would have more presence in the Eastern Ukraine". "Then there would be much better flow of independent information," he said.

"That’s what we need, but it hadn’t happened yet. We will try to bring up this issue at upcoming briefing and also in the debate on the 21st," the envoy went on.

He said initially the idea to open a UN office was put forward by former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in 2015. "This idea was never implemented or materialized, but we think it is still very relevant," Yelchenko said.

He said he is constantly in touch with the new Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. "He is fully aware of the fact that some of the ideas of his predecessor and also some Ukrainian ideas on the need to involve UN more are still on the table," Ukraine’s permanent representative added.