Foreign Secretary welcomes progress made in Geneva on Ukraine
Speaking after talks in Geneva the Foreign Secretary welcomed the agreed steps to de-escalate the current Ukraine crisis.
Following talks involving the EU, US, Ukraine and Russia, Foreign Secretary, William Hague said:
I welcome the commitments made in the Geneva talks today. The steps contained in the joint agreement offer a route for de-escalation.
But rapid implementation of the agreement is critical, particularly the commitments by Russia that all illegally armed groups must be disarmed, all illegally seized buildings must be returned to legitimate owners, and all illegally occupied streets, squares and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated.
The OSCE Monitoring Mission, which is already deployed on the ground, will have an essential role in verifying the implementation of this agreement.
I also welcome the commitment to a transparent, inclusive constitutional process and national dialogue. It is for the Ukrainians themselves to decide how their country is governed. The elections on 25 May are a crucial first step and all parties should commit to allowing these elections to proceed peacefully so that Ukraine’s citizens can freely express their democratic wishes.
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