News from Berlin

Steinmeyer Releases Statement on the Talks in Geneva

April 23rd, 2014
Außenminister Steinmeier.jpg

News from Berlin- Germany’s Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeyer has released a statement on the talks about Ukraine in Geneva last week.

He states, ‘Peace has not yet been achieved in Ukraine, and we still have a very long way to go. But we have regained the chance to avoid a division of Ukraine and for all regions of Ukraine to shape the country’s economic and political future.’

He went on to describe how the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia and the United States and the EU High Representative agreed on a practical set of guidelines to de-escalate tensions on the ground.

Furthermore, Steinmeyer said, ‘The participants agreed on the renunciation of violence, the disarmament of illegal groups, the clearance of illegally seized buildings and the granting of an amnesty. The OSCE, as an independent observer directly on the ground, is to play a leading role in implementing these measures.’

He concluded by confirming that an important step in the right direction had been taken, but ‘Now it must be shown that the steps agreed in Geneva do not just remain a list on a piece of paper but have a tangible impact on policy.’

News from Berlin – Berlin Global