Kiev could widen broaden Crimea's powers in Ukrainian parliament

Kiev is ready to strengthen Crimea's powers in the Ukrainian parliament in constitutional ways through a nationwide dialogue, said the parliament-appointed Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk at the UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Itar-Tass reported.

The politician added that authorities in Kiev were ready for a dialogue with Russia and expressed hope there would be mutuality in relations with Moscow.

Speaking about Ukraine's Russian-speaking population, he said his government would protect all the minorities, as the country's constitution required.

As a result of protests in Ukraine, the country's President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted on Feb. 22. The Verkhovna Rada (parliament) has approved the new composition of the parliament and is preparing to hold pre-term elections.

On Feb. 26 several thousand people participating in two rallies gathered in front of Supreme Council of Crimea. After the escalation of the protest actions in Crimea, the Federation Council supported President Vladimir Putin's appeal regarding the use of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine pending "the normalization of the socio-political situation in that country".

Leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and the U.S., as well as chairman of the European Council and the chairman of the European Commission made a joint statement condemning Russia's position on Ukraine and canceled the preparations for the G8 summit in Sochi, scheduled for June 2014.


/Trend/