SCOW, May 21 (RIA Novosti) – Important issues still remain following the memorandum on peace and conciliation passed by Ukraine’s parliament, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, ratified the text of a “memorandum of peace and conciliation” after two months of armed clashes in the country’s eastern Donetsk region.
The memorandum calls for the pulling back of the country’s military to their permanent bases, banning criminal charges against protest activists, and including the Russian language in the new constitution.
"We give a positive assessment to the contents in the document of judging the use of weapons and violence, which lead to the massive death of people, the intent to provide urgent holding of constitutional reforms, and in order to do this, a fairer distribution of the budget income is planned, as well as the strive to fight against corruption on all levels of the government powers, which is very real for Ukraine, and a call for the prevention of interreligious and interethnic conflicts in the country," Karasin said.
He added that during the memorandum’s discussion, there still remained "important emasculate issues that would guarantee mutual understanding and peace in Ukraine."
Karasin also said he regretted that regional representatives were absent during the discussion of the memorandum, which he called the first distinct, though late step in fulfilling the April 17 Geneva Agreements and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s “roadmap.”
The document stipulates that the country may only join a political or economic union if the majority of the population votes in favor in a nationwide referendum.
It also renounces the use of force by all sides, condemns violence, and envisages constitutional reforms to decentralize power in the country.
Ukraine underwent a regime change in February when the country’s parliament, backed by far-right movements, voted to strip President Viktor Yanukovych of his powers, amended the constitution and scheduled early presidential election for May 25. A total of 23 candidates were registered to take part in the vote, but several later withdrew.
In the run-up to the elections, federalist and nationalist forces have clashed in several deadly skirmishes in the south and east of the country, especially in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which declared independence after referendums earlier this month. Pro-federalization activists have accused Kiev of launching special operations involving military helicopters in the regions.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about the military operation in the southeast of Ukraine, saying it had blocked "any real step to de-escalate the situation in the country."
