PRAGUE, November 13. /TASS/. Europe's envoy to negotiations on settling the Ukraine crisis must be acceptable to all parties to the conflict, Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said.
"The person selected must command the respect of the West but also be viewed [positively] by the East. This is the first condition [when choosing a European negotiator]. We cannot just blindly select someone short-sighted, with whom Russia will never hold talks. Nor can we choose someone Ukrainians will not trust," the top diplomat said in a video posted on Czech Television’s website.
In this regard, Macinka referred to the October 27 phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, initiated by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. "The negotiation [process] is beginning, which is a good thing," he said.
According to the minister, a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine would significantly boost the security of the Czech Republic, in particular.