Excellency,

Ukraine strongly condemns and does not recognize the “Executive order on recognition in the Russian Federation of documents and vehicle registration plates issued to Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in certain areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions” signed by President of Russia Vladimir Putin on 18 February 2017. The relevant Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is attached.

As President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has underlined, this decision is yet another evidence of Russian occupation and violation of international law.

It clearly violates the fundamental OSCE principles and commitments enshrined by the Helsinki Final Act and runs counter to the Minsk agreements as a base of resolution of the conflict in Donbas started by the Russian Federation in 2014.

The abovementioned decision was preceded by the military provocations of the hybrid Russian forces in Donbas near Avdiivka, which represented a deliberate attempt to undermine the implementation of the Minsk agreements and to blackmail Ukraine with further serious aggravation of the humanitarian situation in Donbas.

We call upon the Austrian Chairmanship and OSCE participating States to qualify the Russia’s decision as yet another violation by Russia of its OSCE principles and commitments, to provide strong and adequate reaction to it and to condemn Russia’s unwillingness to adhere to the principles of our Organization and European security order.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest considerations.

 

Yours sincerely,

/Signed/ 

Ihor PROKOPCHUK

Ambassador

Permanent Representative of Ukraine

to the International Organizations in Vienna

 

H.E. Clemens KOJA 

Permanent Representative of the Republic of Austria to the OSCE 

Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council

 

Cc:

To the OSCE Secretary General

To all Ambassadors and Heads of Delegation

of the OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation