MOSCOW - Russia is not imposing the term "federalization" on Ukraine, but it calls on the sides in the conflict to sit down at the negotiating table and discuss their future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
“In no way are we imposing any specific term on Ukraine – whether it be federation or decentralization. There are plenty of synonyms in the English language. It is all the same to us,” Lavrov said in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper.
The Ukrainian sides should reach agreements concerning all possibilities of their co-existence on their own, he said.
“If they want this car to keep moving, they need to sit down and reach agreements on the issue of their language, culture, history, as well as how they will distribute taxes, elect their regional heads, what relations they will have with the center, and, finally, what holidays they will celebrate,” Lavrov said.
“Attempts to sweep under the rug certain basic aspects and get away by forming some secret committee at the Verkhovna Rada (as envisaged in the coalition agreement), in which “different influence groups, oligarchs and politicians will agree upon some constitutional system parameters that suit them”, will only serve to exacerbate this problem,” the Russian minister said.
“As envisioned by the Geneva statement of April 2014, there is a need for open, transparent and inclusive constitutional reform involving all regions and political forces,” he said.
