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Lavrov insists world community should facilitate soonest stabilization in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia feels the need for the international community to make concerted efforts ensure the compliance with the agreements on Ukraine

© EPA/SERGEI CHIRIKOV

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MOSCOW, May 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Foreign Ministry insists the world community steps up efforts aimed at complying with the agreements on Ukraine.

“We do not impose any concrete forms. But we feel the need for the international community to make concerted efforts,” Lavrov said on Thursday.

Among the basic documents, Lavrov named the EU-backed agreement, signed on February 21 by Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition, the Geneva agreement of April 17 agreed upon with the participation of Russia, the US and the EU, and the memorandum of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe).

The first agreement “was thrown away the day after it had been signed and the state coup had been carried out”, he said.

The second document provided a foundation for the OSCE Swiss presidency’s roadmap, supported by all participants, except the Ukrainian government. The Ukraine-OSCE memorandum on the OSCE staff security was not ratified, Lavrov said.

“We cannot achieve compliance either with the agreements of February 21 and April 17 or the roadmap and the document on the status of international observers in Ukraine,” he said.

“More effective mediation efforts are indispensable to cease violence in Ukraine and immediately start a mutually respectful dialogue with regions,” Lavrov said.

“The investigation into the tragedy in Ukraine is one of the priorities. The Council of Europe set up a group for investigating the events of February 18-20 on Maidan,” Lavrov said.

The Russian top diplomat quoted Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko as saying he was ready to expand the powers of the group and invite EU, Russian and Israeli experts. “But nothing happens,” he said.

On May 19, the Russian Foreign Ministry demanded the tragic events in Odessa should be discussed at the UN Security Council due to Ukraine’s position.

Russia demanded Kiev should conduct a transparent investigation into the tragedy in Odessa, the ministry’s spokesman, the ministry said.

“Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sent a message to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the OSCE Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Secretary-General and the Council of Europe Secretary-General to call on them to conduct an impartial investigation into the May 2 tragic events in Odessa,” it said.

Commenting on the tragedy, Lavrov said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should show insistency in a transparent investigation of tragic events in the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odessa.

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Ukraine crisis Foreign policy Sergey Lavrov

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