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Issue of UN mission in Donbass requires Russia-Ukraine dialogue - ambassador

According to Italy’s Ambassador to Russia Pasquale Terracciano, Rome’s position is that the deployment of the UN mission in Donbass "potentially could unblock the conflict

SOCHI, February 18. /TASS/. A direct dialogue between Moscow and Kiev is necessary for structuring the UN mission’s mandate in Donbass, Italy’s Ambassador to Russia Pasquale Terracciano said in an interview with TASS on Sunday.

According to the diplomat, Rome’s position is that the deployment of the UN mission in Donbass "potentially could unblock the conflict." Italy, as OSCE’s chair, is interested in the highest coordination between OSCE and UN. "But, clearly, here would be necessary a direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine to structure that mission’s mandate," the ambassador said.

"We shall continue the efforts in this direction, as, like I have said, it is the only opportunity to unblock the conflict," he added.

On December 14, 2017, while addressing his annual news conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow did not have any objections to bringing Donbass under international control, provided Kiev held direct talks with the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR, LPR). Putin pointed out that Russia had submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council on deploying UN forces to Donbass in order to protect OSCE Special Monitoring Mission’s observers.

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