BAKU, July 01. /ITAR-TASS/. The situation in Ukraine should be discussed from the point of view of the search for ways of bringing together the positions of different sides, member of the Russian delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly (PA) of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), head of the international affairs committee at the State Duma lower house of Russian parliament Aleksei Pushkov said on Tuesday at a special debate on the Ukrainian crisis within the framework of the 23rd session of the OSCE PA.

According to him, in recent weeks Russia has taken a number of steps, demonstrating its goodwill in the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. It is the decision not to use its armed forces, to provide assistance in the release of OSCE observers, it’s Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal on joint border control. “And the decision on the creation of the inter-parliamentary group is a sign of Russia’s willingness to make efforts to solve the issue in a positive and constructive way,” Pushkov said.

The parliamentarian recalled that the situation in the east of Ukraine was to a large extent provoked by the fact that the population of these regions was denied the right to hold a referendum on federalisation. “The decision on holding the referendum had been made in March, then the situation would develop in a different way. If a considerable part of the population insists on decentralisation, this should be considered within the framework of legal instruments, without a negative response,” he said.

The head of the Duma committee expressed concern over the destruction of the principle of international law, which, he said, has become “a function of politics.” “It is now fashionable in Europe not to remember Kosovo, but it is then that this precedent was created. Then, contrary to Yugoslavia’s constitution, contrary to Belgrade’s will, the decision on the separation of the county was made and it was supported internationally. It appears that one separation does not contradict international law, if it is supported by the leading states of the West, and the other already contradicts. There is a clear discrepancy here that should be sorted out,” Pushkov emphasised.

He noted that universal nature of international law supposes its universal application. “We too often hear the worlds of violation of international rights from the states that violate them themselves,” the Russian parliamentarian added.