Category: Europe

Germany questions appointment of French deficit commissioner

Apparently, the French electorate is just as unqualified for voting as any other

Former French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici’s appointment as the European Union’s top budget watchdog drew criticism in Germany and a reminder by the government for France to curb its fiscal deficit.

In a deeply humiliating blow for France’s Socialist government, finance minister Pierre Moscovici was unseated from the town council in Valentigny in the Doubs department in March this year, but has nevertheless now gained the most influential seat in Europe.

As incoming European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker appointed Moscovici, while France’s budget deficit will widen for the first time in five years, to 4.4 percent of gross domestic product in 2014 from 4.3 percent in 2013.

“I don’t think that the appointment of Pierre Moscovici as economic and monetary affairs commissioner was a wise personnel decision,” Norbert Barthle, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s budget policy spokesman in parliament, said in an e-mailed statement. “It will be interesting to see how Mr. Moscovici will deal with France’s excessive deficit.”

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble questioned whether former French finance minister Pierre Moscovici should be nominated as the European Commission’s next monetary and economic affairs chief given his country’s budget woes in July already.

In a question-and-answer session after a speech in the southwestern German city of Freiburg, Schaeuble said France’s violation of European Union budget rules and possible commission action against the country may stand in the way of Moscovici getting the job.

Juncker’s choice will heighten tension between policy makers in the EU’s two biggest economies after the commission allowed French President Francois Hollande twice to delay deficit targets in the wake of Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis.

“We are certain that France is aware of its responsibility,” the German Finance Ministry said in an e-mailed statement that urged EU members to fulfill euro-region deficit rules or risk losing credibility in financial markets. “Europe needs France to be economically strong.”

“The French have prevailed again,” Lueder Gerken, head of Freiburg-based CEP research institute, said in an e-mailed statement. “The Stability and Growth Pact leaves much room for interpretation” and Moscovici, “who so far hasn’t distinguished himself as a follower of structural reforms and budgetary discipline,” now has that power, Gerken said.

Merkel, during a budget debate in Germany’s lower house of parliament today, said adhering to EU rules must be the “hallmark” of policy making, even as Europe’s economic situation remains “fragile.”

“It’s now up to the commission to assess a delayed adherence to the 3 percent deficit limit and, where appropriate, take further steps” against France, Barthle said. “This is where Mr. Moscovici can show that he really represents the interests of Europe.”

And who is Pierre Moscovici? Srul Hersch Moscovici (Serge Moscovici, Serghey Moscovici), is a Jewish Bolshevik born in Romania in 1925. He and his comrades blessed Romanians with Communism. His son, Pierre Moscovici, continues his father’s work in France.

A close ally of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who led a reformist current in the Socialist party, Moscovici jumped to Hollande’s camp after Strauss-Kahn was charged with criminal sexual assault in New York and resigned his IMF post.

Moscovici was a youthful Trotskyist, taught European Affairs at university and was a deputy president of the European parliament. He has admitted that his passion for hand-rolled Havana cigars has ruffled feathers among Socialist colleagues.

Apparently, the French electorate is just as unqualified for voting as any other.

UK mismanaged Scotland’s oil wealth

A leading oil economist has predicted a potential North Sea bonus of 99 new discoveries in the next 30 years.

Alex Kemp, from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, has used detailed financial modelling to set out “commercially viable” projects for the industry following the Wood Review.

The sector has been one of the key battlegrounds in the independence debate, with varying projections on just how many recoverable barrels remain.

In the new academic paper, Prof Kemp argues the 99 finds could be made by 2045, and also outlines an additional 58 which he says will be “uneconomic” by 2050 but could become viable as a result of technological improvements.

He further points out 147 already discovered fields which are not yet at the detailed planning stage and 25 fields currently “being assessed” for development.

Prof Kemp, who factored in expected government tax relief for new exploration, said oil prices are likely to be “much higher” by 2050.

The latest predictions were welcomed by Energy Minister Fergus Ewing, who said the figures proved the North Sea has a “bright future”.

He said: “Whilst the No campaign like to talk down Scotland’s oil wealth – despite enjoying the riches that flow from it into the London Treasury – this expert opinion makes clear that Scotland’s oil and gas story is far from over.

“Under the UK’s poor stewardship of North Sea oil and gas we have seen frequent changes to the tax regime, a lack of focus on value creation and mismanagement of revenues.

“These are all mistakes which cannot be allowed to continue for the decades of oil and gas recovery which remain ahead.”

In the paper, Prof Kemp said: “New commercially viable developments triggered over the period to 2050 include not only 25 fields currently being assessed for development, but 147 discovered fields not yet at the detailed planning stage, and 99 further discoveries resulting from new exploration over the period to 2045.

“At the year 2050 in our model there are also 58 new discoveries made between 2014 and 2045 which contain well over 1 billion boe (barrels of oil equivalent) but are uneconomic. Again, it can be expected that, with higher oil prices, some will become economic.

“But, even the most bearish commentators on the oil market would agree that by 2050 real oil prices are likely to be much higher, and thus more developments should be triggered by that time.”

Source: energyvoice.com

Berlusconi calls EU leaders irresponsible towards Russia

Italy’s former Prime Minister and leader of the right-wing opposition party Forza Italia Silvio Berlusconi on Sunday accused NATO and Western leaders of irresponsible attitudes towards Russia.

“We are strangled by a most profound economic crisis, the situation is only worsening and it the situation is being aggravated by the international situation and the decisions of European leaders, heads of Western countries, the United States and NATO, who were irresponsible and unthinking to make null and void of the enormous work done after the signing of the Pratica di Mare agreement [on the establishment of the Russia-NATO Council] that ended the 50-year-long Cold War,” he said.

He said that the recent development around the Ukrainian crisis, the United States’ and the European Union’s policy of sanctions against Russia were irresponsible decision of the world leaders. “Russia cannot but defend Ukrainian citizens of the Russian origin who are like brothers for Russians,” he noted.

At the NATO summit Kiev has reached an agreement on sending Western military advisers to Ukraine and on the delivery of modern weapons from five countries, including Italy.

Yuri Lutsenko, an adviser to Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko and leader of the Pyotr Poroshenko Bloc party, said on Sunday agreements were reached at the NATO summit.

“Agreements were reached at the NATO summit on Western military advisers and the delivery of modern weapons from the United States, France, Italy, Poland and Norway,” Lutsenko wrote on his Facebook page.

The Ukrainian president said last Friday on the results of the NATO summit in Wales that some countries were ready to supply weapons to Ukraine. Poroshenko declined then to specify the counties, offering Kiev these “newest types of weapons,” for confidentiality reasons.

New EU sanctions to target Russian oil, defence

The FT reports that Europe’s latest sanctions will target a number of key Russian oil and defense industry companies and banks. The new round of economic sanctions is due to be imposed by Brussels Tuesday.

The Wall Street Journal also reported on the latest round of sanctions, referring to leaked EU documents.

Rosneft, Gazpromneft and Transneft are among the oil sector companies, included in the sanction list the Wall Street Journal said it examined. They will reportedly be banned from raising funds with the maturity period exceeding 30 days. The same restriction will be imposed on five Russian state-controlled banks, including Sberbank and VTB Bank, already forbidden from raising bank loans in the European Union member states for longer than 90 days, the newspaper said Sunday.

Russian defense industry access to the EU capital markets will also be seriously complicated, according to the documents cited by the Wall Street Journal. Oboronprom aerospace holding, United Aircraft Corporation and Uralvagonzavod scientific industrial corporation are among the defense industry companies Wall Street Journal said would be able to get a bank loan with maximum maturity of 30 days in the European Union.

Nine companies, producing equipment for the Russian army, including Kalashnikov, Sirius and Stankoinstrument, will reportedly no longer be able to purchase dual-use technology (with possible military applications) from the EU member nations.

Brussels and Washington started to impose economic sanctions against Moscow since Crimea’s reunification with Russia in March, which the West considers illegal, and Russia claims to be fully legitimate. The latest round of restrictions has, in particular, limited capital raising in the European Union for a number of Russian banks.

As a responsive measure, Moscow issued a one-year ban on certain food products importation from the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway.

New Sanctions against Russia in energy or finance sectors could trigger an asymmetric response from Moscow, such as closing its airspace, Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the Vedomosti newspaper in an interview released Monday.

“It is them [the West], who should be asked whether there will be new sanctions. But if there are sanctions, linked with energy, [or] further restrictions on our finance sector, we will have to respond asymmetrically. For instance, [with] restrictions in transport area. We act on the premise of friendly relations with our partners, and this is why the sky above Russia is open for flights. But if we are restricted, we will have to answer,” Medvedev added.

The prime minister argued that certain Western airlines could go bankrupt in case they are banned to use Russia’s airspace.

“But this is a bad option. I just would like our partners to realize it at a certain moment. Especially, [considering the fact] that the sanctions do not help to establish peace in Ukraine. They miss [beside the mark], and an absolute majority of the politicians understand it. There are just an inertness of thinking and, unfortunately, the will to use force in international affairs,” Medvedev stressed.

Swiss could grant Snowden asylum

Switzerland has reportedly decided it will not extradite National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden to the US if he comes to testify against the NSA’s spying activities, Swiss media said.

It has been revealed that trade secrets from other nations are not safe with the NSA. Snowden suggested earlier that the United States conducted espionage to prevent losing its economic prowess to other countries.

In the document, titled “What rules are to be followed if Edward Snowden is brought to Switzerland and then the United States makes an extradition request,” Switzerland’s Attorney General stated that Snowden should be guaranteed safety if he arrives to the country to testify, Sonntags Zeitung reported.

In particular, the report proposes to ensure the whistleblower’s safety by inviting him as a witness to a parliamentary hearing focusing on the NSA’s surveillance practices.

In the document, the authority said that Switzerland does not extradite a US citizen, if the individual’s “actions constitute a political offense, or if the request has been politically motivated,” Swiss ATS news agency reported.

Snowden’s safety can thus be guaranteed if it is ruled that the charges against him have a “predominantly political character,” the document concluded.

The only obstacle for that could be “higher-level government commitments,” the Office of the Attorney General said, adding that it must be verified if such obligations do, in fact, exist.

The document was reportedly requested last November.

Snowden’s Swiss lawyer, Marcel Bosonnet, said he is pleased with the Attorney General’s conclusions.

“The legal requirements for safety are met,” he assured, adding that Snowden has already showed interest in testifying.

Immigration rights activist Sarah Progin-Theuerkauf hinted that Snowden might even have a shot at Swiss asylum following the proposed testimony.

“There is evidence that Edward Snowden meets the criteria of refugee status under the Geneva Convention and therefore should be granted asylum,” she told Sonntags Zeitung.

Swiss politicians meanwhile are calling to welcome Snowden to Switzerland as soon as possible.

“We must now move forward, so that Snowden can travel to Switzerland as a witness as soon as possible,” SVP National Luzi Stamm said, adding that the Swiss people have the right to know the truth behind the extent of US spying activities.

Over the past year, Snowden has been the recipient of the German ‘Whistleblower Prize,’ the Sam Adams Award which was presented to him in Moscow, the German ‘positive’ Big Brother Award, the Ridenhour Truth-Telling Prize, and the Fritz Bauer Prize.

He also joined the board of directors of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, co-founded by Daniel Ellsberg, and was elected in absentia as rector of the University of Glasgow.

Source: RT

France gets NATO fences from Wales summit

Britain has announced plans to erect a huge fence in the French port city of Calais. The steel fencing was previously used at a NATO summit. The move is part of the UK’s campaign to deter illegal immigrants from entering the British Isles.

Dubbed the “ring of steel,” the barrier – which measures more than 12 miles long and nine feet high – was previously used at a NATO summit in South Wales. It was first erected around Celtic Manor in Newport, as well as around summit venues in Cardiff. It was aimed at protecting dozens of world leaders and ministers from potential terrorist threats.

According to British Immigration Minister James Brokenshire, the fencing will now protect the country from illegal migrants entering the country by crossing the English Channel from Calais “which has been the access point to Britain from the continent for centuries.”

“These [fences] could replace and enlarge the inadequate fencing at Calais, which is too easy for illegal immigrants to scale,” the minister told The Telegraph.

Recently, the port has become a growing makeshift camp for an estimated 1,300 migrants from countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria, and other troubled states in the Middle East and North and East Africa. According to authorities, the number of illegal immigrants has risen by 50 percent in recent months and continues to increase.

In an attempt to reach the shores of Britain, people flock to Calais and many groups regularly climb over the existing fences – measuring five meters high – to get to trucks and ferries. Eurotunnel passengers and drivers have been warned to search their cars for people possibly hidden inside.

Amid rising tensions in the area, right-wing activists demonstrated to “save” Calais from homeless migrants on Sunday. Some 250 people, including a group called ‘Save Calais’ and skinheads with “white power” flags took part in the anti-immigration rally on the streets of the French city.

To help deal with the trouble, French officials have made a direct appeal to the UK. Claiming the town has been “taken hostage” by migrants with a goal to cross the channel, Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart has threatened to blockade the port should Britain fail to address the issue.

“We really want the UK Government to think about the English rules, which are possibly the best for immigrants in Europe. We want the Government to make it less attractive, to be less soft,” the mayor of the French city said.

The UK immigration minister said it was France’s responsibility to maintain security of its port, “but we want to do what we can to help.”

The minister highlighted that the move to install the fencing is part of a “very clear message” that “Britain is no soft touch when it comes to illegal immigration.”

British politician Michael Howard said it was France that needed to deal with asylum seekers, rather than blaming Britain.

Source: RT

Le Pen would win in French presidential election: poll

Marine Le Pen, leader of the conservative Front National, would win the first round of a presidential election in France, according to a poll released Sunday, The Telegraph reports.

If an election were held next Sunday, Le Pen, who made major gains in recent local elections, would score a landslide victory against Francois Hollande, whose approval rating hit a record low of 13 percent in August.The survey found that she would take 30 percent of the vote as Holland would take only 16 percent. Le Pen would also led several other center right politicians, including former Premiers Alain Juppé and Francois Fillon. She would even defeat ex-president Nikolas Sarkozy, with 28 percent of the vote to his 25 percent, according to the poll. However the projections found that Le Pen would win a second round only if her rival was Hollande.

Commentators say Le Pen is taking electoral advantage of France’s weak and feuding mainstream parties. The ruling Socialist Party is in total disarray and the center right opposition Union for a Popular Movement has no leader.

In a recent interview with Le Monde, Le Pen called for parliament to be dissolved and said she would be willing to become prime minister, “cohabitating” with president Hollande. – Ria Novosti

Total CEO says sanctions against Russia a mistake

Implementation of sanctions against Russia is a mistake, French oil and gas company Total Chief Executive, Christophe de Margerie said in his interview to Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

“We cannot let them persuade us that Russia is our enemy. Our energy supply depends on this country. If Americans, based on the historical reasons and internal political motives, want to escalate the conflict, then it is their choice. But we, Europeans, have to deal with this crisis in a different way, not painting everything in black and white only,” de Margerie said as quoted by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

De Margerie also stated that he does not believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to annex Ukraine.

Over the past few months, the United States and the European Union introduced several rounds of targeted sanctions against the Russian economy, unjustifiably blaming Moscow for meddling in Ukraine’s internal affairs.

As the Ukrainian crisis escalated, the United States persuaded its allies to add Russian individuals and entities to their own blacklists.

Earlier today, US Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said that US President Barack Obama and leaders of several European countries agreed that more sanctions should be imposed on Russia.

Russia has repeatedly referred to the language of sanctions “counterproductive,” saying that such measures “threaten international peace and stability.”

Source: RIA Novosti

Former Solidarity leader warns that arming Ukraine is a bad idea

European military assistance to Ukraine could lead to a nuclear conflict between Russia and NATO, according to Poland’s iconic cold warrior and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa.

“It could lead to a nuclear war,” the anti-Communist legend told reporters when asked whether the EU should send weapons to Ukraine to help it fights off separatist rebels and Russian aggression.

“The EU is well aware that Russia has nuclear weapons. NATO has them too. Must we then destroy each other?” said the former Solidarity trade union leader famous for negotiating a bloodless end to communism in Poland in 1989.

“This is why the EU keeps on repeating: stop being silly (…) This is why it isn’t getting involved too much!” he added, at an annual regional economic in Krynica, southern Poland.

The EU on Saturday agreed to impose fresh sanctions on Russia should Moscow failed to change its behaviour in Ukraine, after Kiev said Russian soldiers were fighting along side pro-Moscow rebels.

Source: AFP

Kiev, militia agree on ceasefire

Kiev officials and representatives of the two self-proclaimed republics in southeastern Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire, as the contact group met behind closed doors in Belarus.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has confirmed the ceasefire agreement on his Twitter account.

The truce agreement comes into force starting 6 pm local time (15:00 GMT).

The president has ordered to cease fire starting at the time stated in the protocol.

“I give the order to the chief of the General staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to cease fire, starting from 18.00 [local time] on September 5,” Poroshenko’s statement says.

Poroshenko then called on both the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the OSCE to provide international monitoring of compliance with the bilateral ceasefire.

“We must do everything possible and impossible to stop bloodshed and put an end to people’s suffering,” the president said in a statement posted on his official website.

Poroshenko expressed hope that both sides would comply with the ceasefire agreement.

The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic earlier confirmed the ceasefire agreement on its official Twitter account.

Both Donetsk and Lugansk have said they are ready to lay down arms starting from 15:00GMT.

Representatives of the rebel forces have said they will obey the ceasefire if Kiev follows suit.

“Most of the points of the protocol correspond with our demands,” Lugansk’s leader Igor Plotnitsky said.

“However, the ceasefire does not mean a shift from our course of breaking away from Ukraine. This is a compulsory measure,” he said.

The OSCE’s Heidi Tagliavini has welcomed the agreement saying “it is good news.”

She has revealed that the protocol consists of 12 points, and “the ceasefire is the chief one.”

The participants in the talks will prepare another document – a memorandum on settling the situation in Ukraine, a Donetsk representative said.

The two sides accompanied by representatives of Russia and the OSCE were meeting in the Belorussian capital, Minsk, in an attempt to end the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine.

In their recent phone call on September 3, the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko, showed a willingness to find an agreement to resolve the months-long conflict in the southeastern Ukraine.

Following the conversation with his counterpart, President Putin laid out a seven-point plan that could help find a solution.

Source: RT

Ukraine to construct ‘Wall’ on Russian border

Ukraine will construct a “Wall” on the border with itself and Russia, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said on Wednesday.

“We are beginning the ‘Wall’ project. This is the construction of an actual state border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation,” Yatsenyuk said during a government session.

Earlier the same day, Yatsenyuk said Kiev needed to create a new military doctrine that would reflect that Russia as an “aggressor nation,” threatening the territorial integrity and national security of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s junta meanwhile has embarked on a military ethnic cleansing campaign to oust Russian-speakers from the country.

The statement was made a day after Russian Security Council deputy head Mikhail Popov said Russia would adjust its military doctrine by the end of 2014 to reflect new security threats, including the expansion of NATO, US missile shield plans and the political crisis in Ukraine.

Kiev launched a military operation in Ukraine’s southeastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk in mid-April to suppress independence supporters who refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new Ukrainian government after a February coup.

Le Pen – France kowtows to US on Mistral

France’s decision to suspend the delivery of the first of two Mistral helicopter carrier ships to Russia shows Paris’ obedience of American diplomacy, said National Front leader Marine Le Pen. Russia still believes that France will fulfill the contract.

France says it cannot deliver Mistral warship to Russia over Ukraine

“This decision is very serious, firstly because it runs contrary to the interests of the country and shows our obedience of American diplomacy,” Le Pen told France’s RTL radio.

She added that suspension of Mistral warships is also serious “for the reputation of France and the value of its word in trade relations.”

“It will have a huge cost: four months of employment in Saint-Nazaire [where Mistral vessels are under construction], millions of working hours,” Le Pen added, “The delay will cause a fine of 5 to 10 billion euro.”

On Wednesday France suspended delivery of the first of two Mistral helicopter carrier ships to Russia because of events in eastern Ukraine.

“The situation is serious. Russia’s recent actions in the east of Ukraine contravene the fundamental principles of European security,” said a statement from the office of President Francois Hollande.

The majority of the readers of French Le Figaro newspaper believe that French government is wrong to suspend the delivery of the ships to Russia.

The poll asked: “Is the French government right in suspending Mistral ships to Russia?” Seventy-three percent of respondents answered “No.”

According to Maria Zakharova, deputy spokeswoman of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, “the reputation of France as a reliable partner who complies with the contract obligations, is thrown into a fire of American political ambitions.”

Hollande hates ‘the toothless’

Francois Hollande’s former partner says that France’s socialist president hates the poor, in her potentially explosive memoirs she penned after the collapse of their relationship earlier this year.

In Merci Pour Ce Moment (‘Thank You For This Moment’) Valérie Trierweiler claims that, in private, the leftist leader refers to the less wealthy with scorn, calling them “the toothless”, les sans-dents.

“He portrays himself as a man who does not like the rich. In reality, the president does not like the poor,” Trierweiler wrote. “He, the man of the left, calls them ‘the toothless’, very proud of his humour.”

In another passage leaked to French media ahead of the book’ s publication, which is scheduled for tomorrow, the France’s former first lady wrote that he expressed dislike for her working-class parents.

‘Toothless’ poor

“They’re not very nice,” he told her during a Christmas dinner with her family in her native town of Angers, western France.

The revelation comes at a delicate political moment for Hollande, who has been openly accused by the most radical members of his party of betraying socialist campaign pledges that got him elected to pursue a pro-business agenda instead.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls
Hollande’s unpopularity forced French PM Manuel Valls to form a new government.(Benoit Tessier/Reuters)
Last week prime minister Manuel Valls resigned and was re-appointed and formed a new cabinet to silence dissenting ministers.

Economy ministry Arnaud Montebourg, who had urged Hollande to end austerity policies he described as unjust, was replaced Emmanuel Macron, a former banker.

Continuing recession

Left-wing education minister Benoit Hamon and culture minister Aurelie Filippetti, who supported Montebourg, also lost their jobs.

Hollande’s nine-year relationship with Trierweiler ended earlier this year, after Closer magazine published photos alleging the president was having an affair with actress Julie Gayet.

France is struggling to get out of the economic crisis and has recorded no economic growth this year.

Since the election in 2012, Hollande’s approval ratings have collapsed to below 20%, making him one of the most unpopular presidents in French history.

Source: ibitimes.co.uk

Putin’s plan for de-escalation in Ukraine should be heeded

Very big doubts arise as to sincerity of Brussels and Washington with regard to the #Ukraine crisis, the minister has noted

The calls presented in the plan of peaceful settlement of the situation in Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin should be heeded in Kiev, Luhansk and Donetsk.

Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov has stated this at a meeting with OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Chairman Ilkka Kanerva on Thursday.

“We do not give up. President Vladimir Putin personally makes great efforts in direct contacts with President Poroshenko to find such ways of cooperation that will allow immediately put an end to bloodshed, remove the threat for the civilian population, ensure solution to humanitarian problems, problems of reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructure, and, of course, ensure the beginning of the negotiating political process,” the Russian minister said.

After such contacts, the Russian president formulated the seven-point initiative that is aimed at helping Kiev’s authorities and the militia of the southeast agree on and take steps in coordination to deescalate the situation, Lavrov said.

“We hope the calls will be heeded first and foremost in Kiev, Luhansk and Donetsk,” the minister said. “We will be ready together with OSCE within the framework of the contact group to help the conflicting parties to move along the path of stabilization of the situation in practice.”

“Decisions of the Council of Europe, UN Security Council, and OSCEsce on Ukraine must be implemented undeviatingly; this applies to investigation of events at Maidan, in Odessa, and Boeing airliner crash,” the Russian foreign minister emphasized.

Very big doubts arise as to sincerity of Brussels and Washington with regard to the Ukraine crisis, the minister has noted.

Lavrov drew attention to the following fact: “There was no lack in peace initiatives. We were actively pushing forward approaches which are sealed in the Geneva Statement dated April 17. We fixed the Berlin Declaration and documents which presuppose an immediate cessation of fire and the start of a respectful inclusive dialogue on a constitutional reform with the participation of all regions. None of those that signed the documents together with us, I mean Ukraine, the United States, and the European Union, are interested, as it seemed to us, in implementing what we reached agreement about. This is very sad.”

“Since both OSCE and the United Nations under the pressure of Western countries refused even to acclaim the Geneva statement, when our Western partners in OSCE blocked the initiative of Didier Burkhalter, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, of course, all that actions, the West’s behavior raises very big doubts as to the sincerity of what is being done by Brussels and Washington,” Lavrov said.

In his turn, Kanerva noted that the crisis in Ukraine’s southeast was impossible to settle by military means, and a political decision should be found. “We have arrived today here not to urge you to do something and not to persuade you to act in a certain way. We do not intend to assume any arrogant or aggressive attitude,” Kanerva said.

“We all are very concerned by the deteriorating situation in eastern Ukraine and on the border between Ukraine and Russia,” he added. “We urge all parties of the conflict not to attempt any further provocations and show a constructive attitude towards what is now happening in Ukraine,” Kanerva stressed. “That is why we believe necessary to prevent the flow of weapons and servicemen, which are now crossing the border. We need to find a secure solution for this crisis, which today became a very acute problem.”

Sergei Lavrov believes OSCE should provide a basis for cooperation in Europe that makes impossible “provocations” like the one staged in Ukraine. “We are always open, all the more so the OSCE indeed plays an important role not only when the fire has already broken out,” the minister said.

“The events in Ukraine are now the main problem, since there is a civil war, and civilians are eliminated,” the minister went on saying. “The southeast is the most hot spot of the Ukrainian crisis, but we shall not forget about the other parts of the country.”

In this regard, Lavrov pointed to the problems experienced by the Hungarians, Romanians, Poles, and which are discussed in Europe “but not aloud”. “That is why we considered the national unity in Ukraine the most important matter of principle,” the Russian minister stressed. He recalled the agreement of February 21, signed by Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and other then-opposition leaders, who are currently members of the ruling coalition.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that the bet made by the United States and some Western powers on the so-called NATO’s victory in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict would ‘lead to nothing good.’

“I am sure that Russia just like many other European countries want the Ukrainian people to win in terms of its multiethnic diversity,” Lavrov said during his meeting with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn.

“Some of our Western partners, unfortunately including most influential player the United States, want NATO to win and want the situation, when the United States dictates its own will for everyone else, to win as well.”

“Nothing good will come out of such concept of exclusiveness, which President (Barack) Obama repeatedly voiced and nothing good comes out of it currently,” the top Russian diplomat said.

The decision of the Council of Europe (CE), the UN Security Council and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) must be fully complied with, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

He said at a meeting with CE Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland, “We are convinced that the Council of Europe can and should play an active and constructive role in this uneasy period.” “Ukraine is on everybody’s mind, and we are convinced that the decisions, taken by the Council of Europe, the UN Security Council and OSCE should be fully complied with, the same as the agreements made in Geneva, Berlin and other formats.”

“This is so, regarding the investigation of all the crimes, all incidents, be it the Maidan, Odessa events, or the Malaysian Boeing crash, this is also true about the need for an urgent agreement on the unconditional ceasefire and beginning of the inclusive political dialogue,” Lavrov said.