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Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaitė urged the international community to condemn the “elections” in Donbas, Ukraine, being organised on 2 November by the pro-Russian separatists. 

“The general elections taking place on 26 October is of profound significance to Ukraine. The separatists’ plans to hold the “elections” on 2 November is another cynical violation of Minsk agreements. The international community must unanimously condemn this illegal action”, said Lithuanian Ambassador at the UN Security Council meeting on 24 October.

Ambassador Murmokaitė noted that it was necessary to uphold the provisions of Minsk agreements. “Currently only Ukraine shows determination to implement Minsk agreements, however, without Russia’s good will and cooperation these agreements remain merely a piece of paper. The success of the cease-fire depends on Russia’s actions and its determination to assume the responsibility for bloodshed in Ukraine”, the Ambassador underlined.

The Representative of Lithuania urged Russia to withdraw all its military units, equipment and fighters from the territory of Ukraine without delay, to discontinue support being provided to the separatists and unambiguously condemn the illegal “election” planned by the separatists. She expressed continuous Lithuania’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and iterritorial integrity. 

Lithuania also urged the international community to investigate the reports about the use of cluster munitions and urged Ukraine to join the 2008 Oslo Convention.

Ambassador Murmokaitė expressed concern about the human rights situation in the territory of Ukraine controlled by the separatists, as well as about the gross violations of human rights against the Tartar community in the annexed Crimea. She stressed that conditions must be ensured for the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (UNHRMM) and the Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to work in all the territory of Ukraine, including the Crimea.

The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco who participated in the meeting underlined that all the parties had to seek that the political crisis in Ukraine would be resolved through peaceful means preserving the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of the country. The assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for Human Rights Ivan Shimonovich presented the sixth monthly report of the office of United Nations on the human rights situation in Ukraine. Another report on the situation in Ukraine by the UN High Commissioner will be publicised in the middle of November. 

Photo: UN/Loey Felipe