Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on May 3 had a phone conversation with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter.
Lavrov and Burkhalter “condemned the increase of violence in Ukraine,
especially radicals’ activities in Odesa,” the Russian Foreign Ministry
has reported.
Lavrov urged the use of the OSCE potential to influence Kyiv to
cancel the military operation against the population of the southeastern
regions of Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said in a report posted on its
website.
Lavrov and Burkhalter expressed their satisfaction with the
settlement of the situation with the military observers from some
European countries, in which the leading role was played by Russian
presidential envoy Vladimir Lukin, the ministry said.
Lavrov and Burkhalter confirmed the need for full fulfillment of the
provisions of the Geneva statement of April 17, which should begin with
immediate of the violence.
Lavrov and Burkhalter also agreed on the need to involve the OSCE as
per the Geneva statement to establish real equal dialogue between the
Kyiv authorities and representatives of the southeastern regions of
Ukraine to find mutually acceptable ways of overcoming the crisis,
including a constitutional reform.
Lavrov and Burkhalter reached an agreement to continue the consultations on this issue in the next few days.
