Ukraine's "national dialogue" raises many questions in Moscow - Lukashevich
MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) - Moscow is puzzled by the imitation of a nationwide dialogue currently taking place in the Ukrainian parliament.
"A few words about our attitude to the ostensibly launched national dialogue in Verkhovna Rada, which too raises many questions rather than gives answers," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said at a briefing in Moscow on Thursday.
"Due to the launch of preparations for a national dialogue aimed at settling the internal Ukrainian crisis in the format of a series of the so-called roundtables we would like to draw attention to the following. We believe that such roundtables will be organized in full compliance with the Geneva Statement of April 18, 2014. Their ultimate goal is for the Ukrainians to work out coordinated approaches towards a constitutional reform on the conditions of inclusivity, transparency and accountability," the diplomat said.
"This process must ensure proper participation of representatives from all Ukrainian regions and political forces and absolute regard for their proposals and interests. The requirements mentioned in the Geneva Statement for organizing a national dialogue clearly point to the imperatives of ensuring equality of its participants, including representatives of the current authorities in Kyiv and public leaders in the southeast and other regions of the country," Lukashevich said.
