Anna Nazaryan
Public Radio of Armenia
“Ukraine does not recognize the Crimean referendum and its results, as it contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine,” Ukraine’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Ivan Kukhta told reporters today.
The Ambassador said Ukraine is a peaceful country and does not plan military operations against Crimea, and is ready to sit at the negotiating table not only with Crimea, but also the Russian Federation and international organizations to discuss expansion of powers of the Autonomous Republic, as well as the rights of Russians in Ukraine. “I think the diplomatic means have not been exhausted,” he said.
As for Ukraine’s decision to quit CIS, the Ambassador said “The Foreign Ministers of the CIS countries are so busy they haven’t found time to gather and discuss the situation in Ukraine. No one needs an organization which only gathers people around tea or coffee.”
He said Ukraine considers the possibility of visa regime with Russian Federation, whereas the current visa free regime between Armenia and Ukraine will more likely be maintained.
The Ambassador refrained from commenting on Armenia’s response to the Ukrainian developments. He said, however, that “Armenia-Ukraine relations are on a high level and will continue to progress: there are more than 70 documents regulating the relations between the two countries.”
As for Ukraine’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Ambassador Kukhta said “Ukraine supports the approaches of OSCE Minsk Group.”
