New York - Amid the rapidly unfolding events in Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for an inclusive political process to enable the country to emerge from its current crisis.
“He reiterates his call for non-violence and urges all Ukrainians to express their differences peacefully and through dialogue, and to seek a durable solution through compromise,” Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement.
“He has remained in continual contact with key actors on how to support a peaceful way forward for Ukraine at this time of transformation.”
On Saturday, Members of the Parliament of Ukraine – which has been witnessing mass protests since last November – voted to remove President Viktor Yanukovych, and an arrest warrant has reportedly been issued for his arrest.
The move comes after more than 100 people were killed last week in the latest wave of deadly clashes in the capital Kiev.
Ban called for an inclusive political process that reflects the aspirations of all Ukrainians and preserves Ukraine’s unity and territorial integrity, said his spokesperson.
“In order to bring about a stable and prosperous future for Ukraine, the Secretary-General calls for a firm commitment, by all concerned, to uphold the key principles of democracy and human rights and thereby create a conducive environment for free and fair elections.”
The spokesperson added that to assure Ukrainians of the support of the UN and the wider international community, Ban has sent his senior advisor, Robert Serry, to the country.
“The Secretary-General expects all key international actors to work collaboratively to help Ukrainians in this challenging time in their country’s history.”
In his meeting with the new Speaker of the Parliament, Oleksander Turchinov, Serry conveyed the Secretary-General’s solidarity with all Ukrainians and his commitment to assist a Ukrainian-led inclusive governance process.
Ukraine’s new government to get financial aid from EU
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton met on Monday with the leaders of three opposition parties and an agreement was reached on financial aid that the new Ukrainian government would soon receive from the European Union.
The parties discussed the course of forming a new coalition in Verkhovna Rada (the parliament) and the Ukrainian government.
The parties discussed priority tasks facing the new Ukrainian authorities and the aid the European Union could grant.
They also focused on the settlement of problems that leaders of three parties (UDAR, Svoboda and Batkivshchyna) see as facing Ukraine and its new leadership, as well as EU’s financial assistance.
Batkivshchyna’s Arseniy Yatsenyuk also informed Catherine Ashton “about the documents indicative of the former authorities’ preparations for and putting into practice criminal actions against peaceful protesters”. – SAnews.gov.za-Itar-Tass
