Experts Call for Renewal of Ceasefire in Ukraine; Highlight Need for European Cooperation

MOSCOW, July 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Tuesday 1 July marked the end of the ceasefire in Ukraine as President Petro Poroshenko announced military intervention in the East of the country.

Today experts at the International Foundation for Better Governance (IFBG) called for a renewal of the ceasefire, highlighting that this latest escalation of the crisis is a concern for Ukrainian citizens as well as the wider international community.

Military action in Eastern Ukraine jeopardises efforts for much-needed normalisation of the situation in the region. According to IFBG experts, it is particularly disappointing that this comes just as Russian proposals for collaboration with Ukrainian border guards and OSCE observers on border control opened up the prospect of stabilisation.  

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed these proposals will be on the table for as long as the ceasefire remains in operation. According to IFBG, the proposals should be considered more carefully and allowed the chance to make a practical difference to the lives of local people and the region as a whole.

These sentiments were echoed by Franco Frattini, Former Italian Foreign Minister and President of the Italian Society for the International Relations. Mr Frattini said:

"We need unity among European States in order to explore without prejudices all the proposals that could contribute to peace. 

"In particular we should explore on the substance the Russian proposal for a joint Russian-Ukrainian monitoring at the check points on the common borders, and the idea to deploy OSCE observers, eventually together Ukrainian observers at the check points." 

Sergey Lavrov is expected to take part in talks with the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Ukraine today. Talks in Berlin are being held at the initiative of German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, supported by his Russian counterpart, as concern over bloodshed in Ukraine intensifies.

The Russian Foreign Ministry highlighted the importance of bringing "the situation back to the negotiating channel" and today's talks are intended focus on building confidence between the sides in order to foster conditions for a new ceasefire.

Diplomats said concrete measures including tighter security on the Russian-Ukrainian border to restrict the movement of heavy weapons and fighters will be one of the key points on the agenda.

This brings Russia's proposals on border control collaboration back into focus. It is to be hoped, stress IFBG experts, that today's meeting will prove effective as the road to peace must not lie in violence.

For further information, please contact: International Foundation for Better Governance, http://www.better-governance.org