Berlin, Paris, Warsaw 'Deeply Concerned' over Crimea
Germany, France and Poland said they were "deeply concerned" Friday over developments on the volatile Crimea peninsula and called for everything to be done to reduce tensions in Ukraine.
"Everything must be done in order to reduce the tensions in the eastern regions of the country and to promote a peaceful dialogue between all participating powers," the three EU countries' foreign ministers said in a joint statement.
France's Laurent Fabius, Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Poland's Radoslaw Sikorski also confirmed their support for the "sovereignty and the territorial integrity" of Ukraine, the statement said.
"We call on all parties in Ukraine to desist from acts which could endanger this," added the statement, a week after the three ministers traveled to Ukraine to help broker a peace deal to end three months of unrest.
But tensions have now spiraled on the strategic southeastern peninsula of Crimea where Ukrainian authorities said Friday they had regained control of two airports seized during an "armed invasion" by Russian forces.
Ensuring the diversity of Ukraine's society requires the inclusion of eastern and southern regions and consideration of "all legitimate interests, including the rights of minorities", the ministers added.
Source: Agence France Presse
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