BRUSSELS, May 26 (RIA Novosti) – The European Union welcomes Sunday’s presidential election in Ukraine and looks forward to working with the newly elected president, EU leaders said in a joint statement Monday.
“The EU welcomes the holding yesterday of presidential elections in Ukraine. We look forward to work closely together with the next president in view of ensuring the political and economic stability of Ukraine,” European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said in a joint statement.
The two leaders also expressed confidence that elections would help de-escalate the situation in Ukraine and welcomed Moscow’s statements that it respects the will of the Ukrainian people and is ready for dialogue with the country’s new president.
“The successful holding of these elections constitutes a major step towards the objective of de-escalating tensions and restoring security for all Ukrainians. We count on the continued commitment of all parties to the Geneva Joint Statement to the electoral process and to its outcome, and welcome statements by the Russian Federation indicating that it will respect the will of the Ukrainian people and engage in a dialogue with the new Ukrainian president,” the statement said.
The EU leaders underlined that they are now hoping for concrete steps by Kiev’s authorities to insure peace and stability in the conflict-torn country.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier Monday that Moscow will treat the result of the presidential election in Ukraine with respect.
According to Ukraine’s Central Election Commission, billionaire Petro Poroshenko leads in Ukraine’s presidential race taking nearly 54 percent of the vote with over 60 percent of ballots counted.
Ukraine’s early presidential vote on Sunday came amid a large-scale military operation launched by the new Kiev authorities to crack down on protesters refusing to recognize the legitimacy of the government.
A total of 23 candidates were registered to take part in the vote, but several later announced their decision to withdraw, bringing the number to 21.
