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25Aug14

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Moscow opens approaches to humanitarian aid provision to Ukraine -- FM

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The Russian side's approaches to the provision of humanitarian aid to the population of the war-torn southeast of Ukraine are fully open, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

The minister told a briefing that the recent documents, issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the report of the special monitoring mission of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) "unequivocally say that the attempts to hush up the humanitarian crisis in the southeast of Ukraine have been stopped, at least by these respected international organisations."

"Their concern over the deepening humanitarian crisis has been growing," Lavrov said. "The Red Cross has emphasised its intention to expand humanitarian activity in the southeast of Ukraine, especially in Luhansk and its environs, the OSCE called for the continuation of the humanitarian efforts."

The minister said Moscow "will participate in these efforts." "We want to co-ordinate our actions with the Ukrainians, with Ukrainian leadership that also plans to send additional humanitarian cargoes to the southeast, we will help ensure security guarantees by the militias," Lavrov said. "We are ready for the relevant co-operation in the delivery of humanitarian cargoes, promised by the EU and other donor countries. I think international organisations, Including the World Food Program, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees should also make a contribution to this and intend to do so."

"We have absolutely open approaches to this, we are ready to ensure absolute transparency, the same as with the first convoy," he said. "We have no secrets here."

"Any side's attempts to speculate on this humanitarian situation and abuse it should be prevented," Lavrov said.

[Source: Itar Tass, Moscow, 25Aug14]

Ukraine Unrest

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