Ukrainian Government calls on all parties to Geneva agreements to fulfill their obligations

Five days are already gone since the adoption of the Geneva agreements. Immediately after reaching an agreement on initial steps to restore security in the eastern regions of Ukraine, the Government has started to fulfill them in good faith.

We appeal to those citizens who are provoked by the Russian security services to defend their point of view through violence and armed seizures.

Ukrainian authorities are willing to listen to all the legitimate political demands of Ukrainians in the East and the West. And not only listen, but also to meet them. We call on to fulfill the Geneva agreement reached by Ukraine, the United States, the EU and the Russian Federation.

The Government has taken practical steps towards implementation of its part of the agreement. The active phase of the antiterrorist operation has been suspended.

The main task of the Government is to protect civilians from armed gangs. It is in this format will work Ukrainian police and security forces. By order the army has only to protect the citizens of Ukraine, as required by law and the military oath. Unfortunately, it is civilians who become victims of criminal visitors and terrorists who are hiding behind political slogans. The latest example - a horrible murder of two people whose bodies were found tortured in Donetsk region. One of these victims was an MP of the Horlivka city council from the party "Batkivshchyna".

The Government approved and submitted to the Parliament a draft law on amnesty for participants in the riots which would apply to those protesters who surrender weapons and free illegally seized administrative buildings, except for the ones suspected of committing capital crimes, killing and torturing people.

The Government has initiated a constitutional reform, the main idea of which is decentralization of power in the country and empowerment of local communities. An expanded meeting of the parliamentary constitutional committee involving representatives of all political parties and regions has already been held. A broad public debate of future constitutional changes should be conducted. This process has already been launched, and we call on all those who want to change the current system of government in Ukraine to join it. We offer a peaceful and legitimate way to do this: please, submit your proposals in order to change the Constitution. The Government will hear them. But even before the introduction of constitutional amendments, we are ready to hear the opinion of people in the regions about those who they see as worthy to lead their regions.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the State Security Service continue implementing an active campaign to seize illegal arms from the population. The Government is gradually disarming all radical movements, organizations and sectors that are breaking the law. We have already confiscated about 6000 units of small arms. Atmosphere in the Independence Square and Khreschatyk is absolutely free and safe. No one is persecuted on either ethnic or linguistic grounds. Nobody constitutes a "black list". We invite you to come and see.

The Government guarantees the protection and consolidation of special status for the Russian language. Territorial communities determine themselves the extent of the rights that they would give Russian or any other language.

The Government strongly condemns all manifestations of anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance. The State Security Service has already started an investigation on the fact of distribution in Donetsk of anti-Semitic leaflets.

Ruling coalition invited all political forces to sign a memorandum of understanding regarding ways to resolve the situation in the East of Ukraine. The Government reminds all Ukrainians in the regions: you have legally elected representatives in the parliament. We appeal to the disaffected in the East: make your MPs work and defend your interests. They have all the legal possibilities to reach these purposes.

We have made our first steps forward. We are waiting for practical actions from those who are illegally holding buildings and hostages.

The Ukrainian side supports the leading role of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in promoting the immediate implementation of these measures. We are daily having top-level consultations with representatives of the OSCE and the parties to the Geneva agreements, including the level of the Ukrainian Prime Minister, who has today received the head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission.

The Government also appeals to another Party to the Geneva agreements – the Russian Federation. We call on the Russian side to fulfill its part of the agreements. We call on to withdraw troops from Ukrainian territory and draw attention to the importance of public dissociation from terrorism and separatism. We call on Russia to urge their supporters, who are committing illegal acts on the territory of Ukraine, to stop the violence and release the hostages and seized buildings. We express the hope that the agreements with Russia have been not just a waste of paper.