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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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30Mar14
Lavrov: Russia has info about Ukraine's Right Sector involved in Kiev sniper shooting
Russia has some information about Ukrainian far-right movement Right Sector involved in the shooting of snipers in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Sunday Time programme anchored by Irada Zeinalova on Channel One on Sunday. Pettiness of foreign sponsors of new authorities in Kiev is astonishing, he added.
"We have some information about it. We shared our concerns and suspicions. I cannot affirm with absolute determination, but there is a good deal of facts that point to this. Certainly, it is needed to recheck them. I hope that an investigation which current Ukrainian leaders announced will be finalised and will not be swept under carpet," Lavrov noted.
Russia will respond if the European Union issues Schengen visas to Crimean residents only on Ukrainian passports, Lavrov said.
"People who live in Crimea and who chose Russian citizenship are not related to geopolitics. They want to live in a country which meets their cultural and language request, their so-called "gene pool"," Lavrov noted.
"If the European Union takes such steps, I am convinced that we will reply to this so that the EU will understand that blatant violation of human rights is unacceptable," the Russian foreign minister added.
Russian language in Ukraine
Kiev authorities find Ukraine's federalisation and the Russian language status as the second state language unacceptable, Lavrov said.
"Andrey Deshchitsa [interim Ukrainian foreign minister] stated that our proposal was unacceptable, because federalisation contradicts fundamental principles of state system in Ukraine," Lavrov said. "This is unclear why it is so. I am not aware of such principles," he added.
"Secondly, the idea to make Russian language the second state language is also unacceptable for him," the Russian top diplomat went on to say in comments on results of talks with Deshchitsa in the Hague. "This was stated amid well-known statements by Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and other officials of current Ukrainian authorities that Russians and Russian language are not system-forming factors of Ukrainian state in terms of ethnogenesis," Lavrov added.
Russian troops in the Crimea
No one cancelled the right for moving armed forces in the homeland, Russian Foreign Minister said,
"Russian military forces are based on the territory of our country. From time to time they hold scheduled, unscheduled and surprise military exercises, as any countries respecting themselves do, because the latter are concerned so that their armed forces will be in combat order," Lavrov noted.
The recent war games "were transparent and met fully criteria in effect in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)." "All required information about it was sent. In reply to requests made to us we have permitted foreign inspectors including the Americans and Ukrainians to monitor it," the minister noted.
"Within the Treaty of Open Skies under which flights are made over the territories of signatory nations for air surveillance, such flights were made just a couple of weeks ago at Ukraine's request," Lavrov added. "In reports of foreign observers delivered upon results of these inspections we did not find any affirmations that Russia was involved in any dangerous activity during these military manoeuvres," the Russian top diplomat said.
"We do not have any evil intent and are still open for honest talks. However, no one cancelled the right to move armed forces on your own territory," the Russian foreign minister added.
[Source: Itar Tass, Moscow, 30Mar14]
 | This document has been published on 31Mar14 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |