BRUSSELS, May 12. /ITAR-TASS/. Italy continues working alongside other European countries on sanctions against Russia and officials in Crimea and Ukraine’s east but it is most important now to establish national dialogue in Ukraine, says Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini, visiting Brussels for a meeting of European Union foreign ministers.

“Our main task is to prevent further violence (in Ukraine), and searching for ways of achieving this aim is the core of our work today,” Mogherini said. “We continue discussing sanctions but it is also absolutely essential to support efforts of the OSCE (the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) to establish national dialogue.”

The minister noted that Rome fully supported the OSCE “road map” designed to resolve the Ukraine crisis through diplomatic channels. She expressed hope that the presidential election in Ukraine would be held as planned on May 25, followed by a parliamentary election, which “should enable constitutional reform”.