ROME, February 11. /TASS/. Ukraine so far has no plans to return its ambassador to Russia, although embassies and consular services continue their work in both countries, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristaiko said on Monday.
According to earlier reports, candidacies of Ukrainian ambassadors to 13 out of 19 countries where they are not present at the moment are currently undergoing approval. However, the exact list of countries was not specified.
Commenting on the reports, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said "the minister did not submit the candidacy of an ambassador to Russia for presidential approval." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that Russia would not object the return of ambassadors, adding that despite all difficulties in bilateral relations, the two neighbors still remain closely interconnected in economy, transport and humanitarian affairs.
"I heard the news today from my friend, minister Lavrov, but this is not what he was talking about. He said that at some point, the ambassadors will return. It is true, this will happen someday. But, at the moment, our embassies keep working, consular assistance is being provided," Pristaiko told Russian reporters in Rome.
Ukraine recalled its ambassador to Russia for consultations in 2014. Russia did the same in 2016.