The United Nations Organization has expressed its concern over the intentions of the Crimean authorities to hold a referendum on the status of the peninsula, UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky said.
“In this regard, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges the authorities in Ukraine, including in Crimea, to treat this matter with calm. All concerned should think about the implications of any hasty actions or decisions taken in the heat of the moment,” the UN press service quoted Nesirky as saying in New York on March 7.
The secretary-general emphasizes the need for peace and stability in the region, he added.
Nesirky also said that the Secretary-General’s Senior Advisor, Robert Serry, is currently continuing his consultations with Ukrainian and diplomatic interlocutors in Kyiv, before leaving the country tomorrow. He will then return to Jerusalem next week, where he is based as the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
“At this stage, it is not yet known when he will return to Ukraine. But he will continue to assist the Secretary-General, as required, in his good offices to promote urgently needed de-escalation and a peaceful political resolution of the country’s current crisis,” the spokesperson said.
