Federal agreement is only way to reach Ukraine settlement – Lavrov
Photo: EPA
Russia believes that the only way for Ukraine to reach a settlement is to sign a federal agreement, said Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, in an interview with the anchor of the 'Saturday News with Sergei Brilev' TV programme earlier today. "Current developments in Ukraine have resulted from a deep statehood crisis, triggered, among other things, by the inability (I’d hate to think of reluctance) of every successive leader coming to power to reconcile the interests of Ukraine’s western region and Ukraine’s South-East", the Russian Foreign Minister said. "This cannot continue that way anymore".
"We are certain that Ukraine needs profound
constitutional reform. In all fairness, we can’t see any other way to
ensure the stable development of Ukraine but to sign a federal
agreement", Lavrov said.
"Some may know better and are,
perhaps, capable of finding some magic spell to ensure living in a
unitary state, with people in the West, on the one hand, and the
South-East, on the other, celebrating different holidays, honouring
different heroes, developing different types of economy, speaking
different languages, thinking differently and gravitating towards
different European civilised cultures but I think it’s pretty difficult
to live in a unitary state like that", Lavrov said.
"We
suggested that things be put right in all areas at once, the more so
since an obligation to that end was signed by Vitaly Klitshcko, Arseniy
Yatsenyuk, Oleg Tyagnibok, and the Foreign Ministers of Germany, France
and Poland. We further suggested that a constitutional reform be
launched at once, one that would prove comprehensive and involve every
single political force and region, with equal voting rights. We
suggested that they start negotiating a federation that would grant each
region sweeping powers in the fields of economy, finance, culture,
language, and education, as well as external economic and cultural ties
with neighbouring countries or regions, where all minority rights would
be ensured", Foreign Minister Lavrov said.
"Given the
share of the indigenous Russian population, we are certain that there is
no other way to reach a settlement, the more so since some presidential
candidates in Ukraine have repeatedly suggested that Russian should be
made a second official language and that each of the federation’s
territorial entities should guarantee the rights of minority languages,
in keeping with the European Charter for Regional or Minority
Languages", Lavrov said.
Russia’s topmost diplomat
pointed out that a constitutional reform should be approved by a
referendum and should reflect the interests of all regions, the
interests that should be mutually agreed on, so that once the
constitutional reform is approved by a plebiscite, presidential and
parliamentary elections could be held, as well as the elections of
regional legislatures, executive authorities and governors, so that
these are elected, rather than appointed".
The West is
no longer dismissing Russia's arguments that Ukraine should become a
federation through constitutional reform, Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said.
"I can say that 'federation' is no
longer a taboo word in our negotiations. I am sure we should insist on
this, not just because we want it but because this is a demand by the
southern and eastern regions [of Ukraine]," Lavrov said.
The
West has taken heed of Moscow's arguments in favor of Ukraine's
federalization and a second official language, and Russia expects that
Kiev will be informed of these ideas through Western partners, Lavrov
said.
"This is actually the only thing I hope for,
because the current Ukrainian government can hardly be suspected of
independence," Lavrov said sarcastically.
While
covering the events in Ukraine, Western media conceal various facts
about the Right Sector, says Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Sergey Lavrov. He noted that for more than a month he had posed a
question about the Right Sector and the need to create distance between
radicals and Western partners.
"I was very surprised
that, in those days when our television, including your channel, showed
the siege of the Verkhovna Rada and explicitly commented, what was going
on between the Right Sector and representatives of the Ukrainian
Parliament, what all this may lead to, at that same time Euronews said
not a word about it, and Ukraine only appeared as the third or fourth
item in the context of an IMF loan offered to it," the Minister said in
an interview with the News on Saturday program on Russia's 1TV-channel.
Touching
upon information that, the authorities in Kiev have lately "set about"
the Right Sector, the Minister stressed: "It took them too much time.
Better late than never - and this is certainly so".
"I
asked a very simple question: If you agree that it is necessary to
normalize the situation, why can't you publicly say, what the Right
Sector really represents? In general, it also concerns the Svoboda
(Freedom) party, which policy document contains a reference to the
Declaration of June 30, 1941, proclaiming support for Nazi German
activity aimed at establishing a new world order. According to its
organizational documents, it is still a principle, to which this party
is committed," the head Foreign Ministry noted.
According
to Lavrov, the Russian request, at least to "publicly state their
attitudes to these characters and induce those, who proclaimed
themselves the new authority in Kiev, to speak on this subject", brought
about rather strange answers.
"At first, our
colleagues avoided reaction, then, during one of the recent meetings, I
think, in London, US Secretary of State John Kerry told me that they had
examined the whole background, and believed that the Right Sector was
trying to turn into a political movement. The subtext was that it was
good: the Svoboda was moving towards the mainstream. This is a
quotation. The meeting was attended by many people, so I betray no one's
secrets," the Minister said. Lavrov drew attention to the fact that he
had given examples of what was happening to these associations.
"Beginning with public statements against Russians, whom it is proposed
to shoot in the head, to kill, whom they subjugate, and ending with the
application of physical force that's even occuring in Eastern Ukraine,
where members of these groups feel at home. If we are to talk of what
has happened lately, let's hope, all these statements and actions by the
government are the result of some educational work, which our Western
partners conducted among them. I repeat, better late than never".
The
Minister urged all parties to see "what happens, and whether it is
possible to cope with those, on whom the new authorities relied in order
to occupy their current posts".
West's calls on Russia to change position on Crimea are "diplomatic impudence"
Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sees the West's demand that Moscow
change its position regarding Crimea's reintegration with Russia as
absolutely hopeless.
"You may substantially disagree
with the way we see the situation, and you may not accept the Russian
Federation's decisions that were made in response to Crimean will and
were supported by an astounding majority of the population. We
understand this position, life is life," Lavrov said in an interview
shown in an analytical program hosted by Sergei Brilyov on the Rossiya-1
TV channel on Saturday.
"But not understanding real
politics and absolute hopelessness of demands addressed to us at the
moment when we said that we would accept any decision by the Crimeans
after they express their will and telling us: 'Okay, despite what the
president said, let's put down that a mission will go to Ukraine
including Crimea' - this is diplomatic impudence or absolute diplomatic
inadequacy," he said.
Russia holding talks with countries for ships could use ports for minor maintenance
Russia
is holding negotiations with several countries to enable Russian ships
to call at their ports for servicing and minor maintenance, but Russia
is not considering the establishment of new naval bases abroad, says
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
"We are holding
negotiations with some countries that our ships and naval vessels could
use their infrastructure for calling at their ports, servicing, minor
maintenance, replenishing food and water stocks, and crew rest. There is
absolutely no talk about building bases similar to the American ones,"
Lavrov said in an interview shown on an analytical program hosted by
Sergei Brilyov on Rossiya-1 TV channel on Saturday.
Russia's, West's approaches toward settling Ukraine crisis converging
Interaction
between Moscow, Western countries and Kiev to settle the crisis in
Ukraine is becoming more tangible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said.
"Anyway, we are bringing our approaches
closer together. My last meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry
in The Hague and my contacts with Germany, France and some other
countries show that a possible joint initiative that could be offered to
our Ukrainian partners is taking shape," Lavrov said in an interview
shown in an analytical program hosted by Sergei Brilyov on Rossiya-1 TV
channel on Saturday.
"This is a very important detail,
because our partners have so far proposed setting up some contact group
in which Russia and those who have seized power in Kiev would negotiate
under their supervision. This would be an absolutely unacceptable
format, and we are not talking about this," he said.
Russia has no plans to create mil bases abroad like those of US
Russia
has no plans to create naval and military bases abroad like American
facilities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview
on Saturday News with Sergei Brilyov on Russian television.
Commenting
on reports that Russia allegedly planned to open bases on the
Seashells, in Vietnam, Nicaragua, Cuba and Argentina, Lavrov said "It is
not true at all. We have no plans to create naval and military bases
abroad in the meaning you understand the term."
"The
Navy has strengthened significantly in Russia, and I think, after the
joining of Crimea to Russia, it will have much more potentialities for
development," he noted. Aside from the Black Sea Fleet, we have the Far
Eastern, Northern and other fleets," he said. "It is very important for
the state to have the navy on the highest level of training, especially
when the fleet has not only to cross oceans for training, but carry out
specific tasks to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Pirates appear in
other parts of the world ocean. The fleet makes long trips."
"We
have agreed with some countries for our vessels and naval ships to use
their existing infrastructure for calls, service, minor repair,
replenishment of food and water reserves and rest of crews," Lavrov
explained. “Construction of bases like American ones is out of the
question. Any agreements like those concluded by Americans to ensure
immunity for their servicemen from crimes in the country of their
presence are also out of the question," he noted.
"By
the way, I saw an interesting picture in the Internet the Russian
Federation and red dots indicating locations of American military bases
around it," he said. "It is impressive. They number more than a hundred.
And an American serviceman phrase there 'How does Russia dare to settle
so close to our bases?'."
In reply to the question
whether the mentioned countries were among those to negotiate with about
calls of ships, Lavrov said “There are several such countries, but
these are issues to be considered by military departments.
Russia has no plans to cross Ukraine's borders, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"We
have absolutely no intention of and interest in crossing Ukraine's
borders. The only thing we really want is that the work should be
collective and the lawlessness that some Western countries are trying to
sweep under the rug and paint the situation in bright colors should be
stopped, so that they realize their responsibility," Lavrov said in an
interview shown in an analytical program hosted by Sergei Brilyov on
Rossiya-1 TV channel on Saturday.
Voice of Russia, Interfax, RIA
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_03_29/Only-way-for-Ukraine-to-reach-settlement-is-to-sign-federal-agreement-Lavrov-1757/