13.05.2015 | 19:13
PRESS SERVICE OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRESS SERVICE OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
We, the
Foreign Ministers of the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC), met today in Antalya, Turkey,
to review progress made on our joint cooperative agenda. We also discussed the
security situation in eastern Ukraine, the implementation of the Minsk agreements
and prospects for a lasting settlement, as well as the situation in the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea of Ukraine.
We reaffirm
our strong commitment to an independent, peaceful and prosperous Ukraine.
We stand firm in our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity within its internationally recognized borders andUkraine’s right to decide
its own future and foreign policy course free from outside interference, as set
out in the Helsinki Final Act. We strongly condemn Russia’s
aggressive actions and continued violation of international law and its
international obligations. We call on Russia to fully
abide by international law.
More than
one year has passed since Russia’s illegal and illegitimate self-declared
“annexation” of Crimea, which we do not, and will not, recognize, and
which we call on Russia to reverse. We are deeply concerned
about the worsening human rights situation on the peninsula. We urge Russia to
respect the rights and freedoms of the entire local population, including the
native Crimean Tatars and other members of local communities, and to allow for
international monitoring of the human rights situation in Crimea. We
condemnRussia’s ongoing and wide-ranging military build-up in Crimea, and are
concerned by Russia’s efforts and stated plans for further military
build-up in the Black Sea region, which will potentially have further
implications for the stability of the region. We are also deeply concerned by
statements of the Russian leadership with regard to possible future stationing
of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems in Crimea, which would be
destabilizing.
We reaffirm
our strong support for the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine by
diplomatic means and dialogue. We welcome the Package of Measures for the
Implementation of the Minsk agreements signed on 12 February 2015 and
the accompanying Declaration of the four Heads of State and Government, and
support the efforts of the OSCE and its Special Monitoring Mission (SMM). We
welcome the initial steps taken to implement the Package of Measures, including
most recently the convening of the working groups under the Trilateral Contact
Group. However, we are concerned by the ceasefire violations along
the line of contact primarily by Russian-backed separatists, the use of heavy
weapons, and the continued Russian support for separatists, including the
transfer of weapons, which are all in contradiction to the Minsk agreements.
We are also concerned by the continued obstruction of the work of the OSCE SMM,
principally by the separatists, as well as increased number of incidents which
threaten the monitors’ safety and security. We call for full
adherence to the ceasefire and permanent and unfettered access for the OSCE SMM
to implement its mandate.
All
signatories to the Minsk agreements bear responsibility to comply
with the commitments to which they signed up, and to ensure their full
implementation. Russia has a significant responsibility in this regard; it must
stop its continued and deliberate destabilization of eastern Ukraine through its
political, military and financial support for militants, withdraw its forces
and military equipment from Ukrainian territory and along the Ukrainian border,
and fully support a political solution of the conflict, which has claimed more
than six thousand lives and gravely affected the humanitarian situation for
civilians. Russia must also use its influence over the separatists to
ensure that they abide by the terms of the Minsk agreements. All
hostages and unlawfully detained persons must be released, including Nadia
Savchenko and Oleg Sentsov.
Allies
welcome the steps undertaken by the Government of Ukraine to promote key
constitutional reforms and reconciliation. The work of the
Constitutional Commission and the local elections scheduled for October 2015 should
be instrumental in decentralizing power, promoting an inclusive political
process, and further consolidating the rule of law and democracy in Ukraine. Recognising the
challenging circumstances, Allies strongly encourage the Government of Ukraine
to continue reform efforts and wherever possible, accelerate them. The
success of these wide-ranging reforms, including combating corruption and
promoting an inclusive political process, based on democratic values, respect
for human rights, minorities and the rule of law, will be crucial in laying the
groundwork for a prosperous and peaceful Ukraine firmly anchored among European
democracies committed to common values. Allies will continue to
support Ukraine in its pursuit of deep and comprehensive reforms,
including through the Annual National Programme (ANP).
Our
increasingly close cooperation in the framework of our Distinctive Partnership
will enhance Ukraine’s ability to provide for its own security, and
further improve the interoperability between Ukrainian and NATO Forces. As
stated in Wales, all 28 Allies are enhancing support for Ukraine,
including through NATO. Allies have deployed additional support to the NATO
Liaison Office in Kyiv and provided advisors to the Government of Ukraine,
including the Ministry of Defence. We are making progress on the Trust
Funds on command, control, communications and computers, logistics and
standardization, cyber defence, military career transition and medical
rehabilitation of injured servicemen and exploring the possibility of
additional Trust Funds to supportUkraine. We will continue to
strengthen our cooperation as Ukraine proceeds with work on defence and
security sector reforms, strategic communications, and capacity-building
projects through the Science for Peace and Security Programme. We
look forward to Ukraine’s hosting of the field exercise of the
Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre in September 2015 in Yavoriv near Lviv. Ukraine looks
forward to further deepening its strategic dialogue and information exchange
with the Alliance.
Ukraine welcomes
the humanitarian, medical and other non-lethal support being provided by many
Allies on a bilateral basis. It also welcomes Allies’ bilateral assistance
aimed at helping Ukraine better defend its sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
Recalling
earlier statements of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, we reiterate that an
independent, sovereign and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy
and the rule of law, is key to Euro-Atlantic security.
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