CSTO leaders call for urgent measures addressing humanitarian catastrophe in eastern Ukraine
MOSCOW. Dec 23 (Interfax) - The leaders of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states have called for the soonest possible restoration of peace in Ukraine and expressed concern over casualties, including those amongst the civilian population.
"We, the leaders of CSTO member states, stand for the soonest possible restoration of peace in Ukraine and deem it necessary to launch a negotiating process between all the warring sides, which will assist in taking urgent measures to deal with the aftereffects of the humanitarian catastrophe amongst other issues," the chiefs of state said in a statement released at the end of their summit in Moscow.
The leaders said that "human tragedies and deaths, including civilian casualties" caused them profound concern.
"It is of paramount importance to prevent further escalation of tensions, to exhibit self-control, to use exclusively political and diplomatic methods in resolving this conflict and to seek the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements for reaching national concord and resolving the crisis in that country," the CSTO leaders said.
