Ukraine protests refusal to hold extraordinary session of Council of Foreign Ministers
KYIV. March 13 (Interfax) - Ukraine has sent a diplomatic note to the CIS Executive Committee, expressing its frustration over the member states' refusal to hold an extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Kyiv over the situation in Ukraine.
The note was sent to the CIS Executive Committee on March 12 this year, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevhen Perebyinys said at a briefing.
"It states as follows: in calling for an extraordinary session, Ukraine took as its point of departure one of the main objectives of the Council of Foreign Ministers - to search for peaceful resolution to disputes and conflicts, to avoid threats to peace, security and stability of the Commonwealth nations, as defined by the regulation on the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers," the spokesman said.
The note also says that the relevance of holding such a meeting within the shortest possible period is obvious and consists in the need to de-escalate the conflict in Crimea, he said.
In addition, the document stipulates that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry repeatedly urged Russia not to use force and show respect for international law guarantees of the territorial integrity and inviolability of the Ukrainian national borders, Perebyinys said.
Kyiv also insists that it is in the interest of every CIS nation to preserve peace and stability across the Commonwealth and honor the 1991 CIS founding agreement provisions concerning the recognition and respect for territorial integrity of its member states.
"We are counting on the prompt and efficient political support from our CIS partners," the note said.
The document also stipulates that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is disappointed by the refusal by the majority of the CIS member states to hold the extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Kyiv, which could help preserve the territorial integrity of Ukraine and eliminate the security threat in the region, the spokesman said.
Such behavior by CIS member states shows that the organization has walked away from taking crucial political decisions regarding the basic principles of the Commonwealth's existence, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
"Such an approach is not acceptable for Ukraine. Ukraine once again confirms its openness for an immediate bilateral discussion of the situation in Crimea with Russia," Perebyinys said.
