MOSCOW. Nov 7 (Interfax) - The outcome of the November 2 elections in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions has to be reckoned with, said Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Andrei Kelin.
"I would like to stress that Russia has recognized the choice made by Ukrainian citizens on October 26 [in the Verkhovna Rada elections] and declared its readiness to cooperate with the new parliament and the new government. People in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions also expressed their will on November 2. We have heard it and respect it, and it will have to be reckoned with," Kelin said at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday. The Russian Foreign Ministry posted his speech on its website on Friday.
"In the same manner, we respect the democratic choice of a majority of Scots to remain part of the UK. It is not so important how our colleagues call this expression of will and how many quotation marks they put around the word "elections". It is important that people have said their word and done so in a democratic fashion rather than using rocks and Molotov cocktails," he continued.
"The November 2 ballot does not harm the peace process, as some have claimed; quite the opposite, it is helpful," Kelin emphasized.
The Russian envoy called on colleagues "to not limit the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements to the elections held in Donbas by the Ukrainian laws or control over the Ukrainian border."
"The priority should be given to a lasting ceasefire regime and the avoidance of new casualties and damage. This will require a direct dialogue between the conflicting sides based on mutual respect. A refusal to hold the dialogue may mothball this conflict," Kelin stressed.
He stated "the unsatisfactory fulfillment of the Minsk accords concluded on September 5 and 19."
"We do not deny that both sides in this conflict are responsible for the ongoing situation. But we would like to draw attention of our colleagues, who are criticizing the militia so much, that a number of provisions of the Minsk Protocol are not being implemented by the Kyiv leaders," Kelin said.
He regretted that "instead of fulfilling the Minsk agreements in good faith by actions rather than by words passions are being stirred up again and rumors of alleged Russian military trucks in Ukraine, the regular army and "a threatening concentration" of Russian forces on the border are being spread."