(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Wednesday urged all parties involved in the conflict in Ukraine to put an immediate end to violence there, respect human rights and engage in a national dialogue to end the crisis.
The President of PACE Anne Brasseur, speaking on behalf of the Assembly's Presidential Committee following a meeting in Luxembourg, appealed to all sides in Ukraine to put an immediate end to violence and intimidation.
She regretted the loss of life in clashes between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian forces.
"Violence cannot and will not bring a solution - it must immediately stop and all sides must ensure that human rights are effectively respected on the whole territory of Ukraine," Brasseur warned, adding that there should be investigations into the origins of the violence and its perpetrators.
Brasseur also criticised pro-Russian groups for organising "autonomy referendums" that threaten stability and fly in the face of efforts to get institutional reform in Ukraine.
"I also strongly regret the holding of the so-called 'referendums' in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, despite repeated and unanimous calls by the international community to refrain from such actions, which only add to the already tense atmosphere," she stated.
"All citizens of Ukraine must feel that their interests and concerns are heard and taken into account, and the Prime Minister's proposal to launch national-unity round-table discussions is definitely an encouraging initiative," the Council official added.
The 47-member Council was established to monitor democracy in its member nations and it has certain powers to send fact-finding and investigative missions to these members.
Both Russia and Ukraine are members of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe.
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