Iceland Supports Ukrainian Peace Plan
Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson welcomes the Peace Plan by the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko. The Minister says that the Government of Iceland supports the Plan, which is an important foundation for stopping violence in Eastern Ukraine. He says that the Plan confirms that President Poroshenko emphasizes peace and security for all the inhabitants of Ukraine.
The Government of Iceland calls on all sides to support the Peace Plan and honour its provisions. In this regard Russia´s support for the Plan is an important step, as well as the announcement by the President of Russia that he has asked parliament to revoke the authorisation for military intervention in Ukraine.
”It is urgent that the Peace Plan will be implemented so that the Government of Ukraine can proceed with necessary economic reform and the administrative changes that the President has announced. During the meetings I had in Kyiv in March, I underlined the importance of seeking peaceful resolution to the disputes in Ukraine. I also emphasized democratic development, how important it is to respect human rights, preserve the rights of ethnic minorities and improve the economy for the benefit of the entire Ukrainian population,“ Minister Sveinsson says.
The Minister emphasizes that Iceland is contributing to efforts to stabilize the situation in Ukraine by supporting the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM). He says that it is important to ensure unhindered activities of the OSCE and other international organizations and that it is unacceptable that SMM monitors are being held hostage in Eastern Ukraine. He calls on those that hold hostages to release them immediately.