26 April 2021, Monday, 18:33 197

Kuleba Proposes Czech Republic Send Diplomats Expelled From Russia To Ukraine

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba has proposed that the Czech Republic send its diplomats that were expelled from Russia to Ukraine.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry announced this in a statement after a telephone conversation between Kuleba and his Czech counterpart Jakub Kulhánek, the Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"The Ukrainian side will welcome the sending of the Czech diplomats expelled from Moscow to Kyiv in order to strengthen the diplomatic presence of the Czech Republic in Ukraine for the purpose of developing relations between our countries and peoples," the minister said.

Kulhánek noted that Kuleba was one of the first to support the Czech Republic and thanked Ukraine for its solidarity.

The ministers discussed the situation in the non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine and steps to prevent further Russian aggression.

“The interlocutors agreed that the withdrawal of troops from the Ukrainian border that Russia announced should be backed by concrete actions by Moscow to de-escalate the security situation and reaffirmation of its commitment to the comprehensive ceasefire in the Donbas. The heads of Ukrainian and Czech diplomacy noted the importance of maintaining consolidated international support for Ukraine until the Russian Federation fully fulfills its obligations on the political and diplomatic settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict," the statement said.

The Czech minister expressed his readiness to continue promoting European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.

Kulhánek also accepted Kuleba's invitation to visit Ukraine this year.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Ukraine previously supported the Czech Republic’s decision to expel 18 Russian diplomats after Czech law enforcement agencies confirmed the involvement of the Russian Federation in a massive explosion at an ammunition depot in 2014, which led to the death of people.

Russia responded by expelling Czech diplomats.