Participants in four-party talks in Geneva have agreed that the crisis in Ukraine has to be resolved by Ukrainians themselves, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
“The achieved agreements are a compromise, but most importantly for
us is that the participants recognize the indisputable fact that this
crisis has to be resolved by Ukrainians themselves,” Lavrov said
following the four-party talks in Geneva.
“It has been emphasized that this dialogue should involve all Ukrainian regions, all groups,” he said.
According to him, the broad national dialogue “must be inclusive, transparent and accountable.”
“We have approved the document – this is a Geneva statement dated
April 17, where we’ve agreed to take initial concrete steps to
de-escalate tensions, ensure safety for all citizens of Ukraine,” Lavrov
said.
“We’ve agreed that all parties should refrain from any violence, any
intimidation, provocative actions, and we strongly condemn and reject
all manifestations of extremism, racism, religious intolerance,
including anti-Semitism. This is a very timely requirement for what has
been happening in Ukraine in recent months,” Lavrov said.
“Among the steps we call upon are the disarmament of all illegal
armed groups, the return of all illegally seized buildings to their
legitimate owners, the clearing of occupied squares, streets and other
public places in all cities of Ukraine,” Lavrov said.
