Kazakhstan’s President Nazarbayev on Ukraine

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev had telephone talks with President Vladimir Putin of Russia and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, his website reports. In the talk with President Putin Mr. Nazarbayev said that “Kazakhstan as a strategic partner of Russia understands Russia’s stance on Ukraine, including Russia’s efforts to protect the rights of ethnic minorities in Ukraine and [the endeavors to protect] its security-related interests”. Kazakhstan’s President expressed hope that “all the interested parties will be checked and will take measures to normalize the situation within shortest possible time through negotiations”. According to Nazarbayev, the Ukrainian crisis should be settled peacefully, “with the sovereignty being respected and in line with international law norms”. In the talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Nazarbayev reiterated that the Ukrainian crisis should be settled through dialogue. According to him, instruments of international mediation should be employed “to ensure territorial integrity of the nation as well as to renounce reciprocal threats and ultimatums”. When closing the talks with the German Chancellor, President Nazarbayev “expressed Kazakhstan’s readiness to make – if needed – its constructive contribution to working out compromise solutions towards peaceful normalizing the situation in Ukraine”.