MOSCOW, September 04. /ITAR-TASS/. Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland on Thursday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan on the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis.

Jagland, who is currently on a visit in Moscow, said Putin’s initiative was likely to yield good results, however, the problem of conflicts similar to the current one in Ukraine was that there were always radical elements on both sides of the conflict striving to suppress any initiative aimed at the peaceful resolution.

Jagland also said that it would be important to supplement the peace plan by other positive provisions and one of them can be on the exchange of war prisoners between the warring sides.

On September 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a seven-point plan for the peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine following his telephone conversation with Ukrainian leader Poroshenko.

Talks in Moscow

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov and Thorbjoern Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, have discussed arrengrments for as wide as possible humanitarian aid to the civilians of southeastern Ukraine, a Russian Foreign Ministry officil said Thursday when speaking about the results of the Lavrov-Jagland meeting.

The Ministry official said, "The sides exchanged views on the role of the Council of Europe in restoring peace in Ukraine as soon as possible, ways to alleviate the position of the civilians, inland migration of persons and refugees, as well as redoubling of the efforts of the international community, including those of the Council of Europe, and arrangements for as wide as possible medical, food, and other humanitarian aid to civlians of the country's south-east. Lavrov told the Secretary General of the Council of Europe substantively and in detail about the basic elements of the action plan, suggested by Russian Presidient Vladimir Putin on September 3, for settling the intra-Ukraine conflict. It was stressed that the implementation of the proposals would make it possible to open the way to a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine with due regard for the interests of all regions and political forces of the country".

The Minister stressed that the Council of Europe "must show great activity in efforts to influence the Ukrainian leadership with a view to achieving a permanent truce as soon as possible in the country's south-east, including the ensurance of the safety of civilians and that of journalists who work in the conflict zone," the Ministry official pointed out.

Lavrov called on the leadership of the Council of Europe to tap to the utmost the potential of the International Consultative Group operating under the auspices of the Council of Europe to probe into Ukraine's events, beginning from November 30, 2013. Actually, that potential has not been used. "Crimes similar to the Odessa tragedy must be exposed and those guilty must be severely punished," the Ministry official stressed.

Special attention was devoted to systemic matters of European security and to efforts to ensure its indivisible and equal-to-all-countries character. "Only provided there is a comprehensive approach to these basic challenges to stability in Europe, it will be possible to avoid crises similar to the Ukrainian one. In this respect, the Council of Europe can play an important constructive role in coordination with other Pan-European institutions," Russia's Foreign Ministry official summarized.