30/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - Clean elections says Ana Palacio. Ana Palacio, Spain's former foreign affairs minister and a member of the National Democratic Institute delegation which travelled to Ukraine to observe the elections on 25 May, has described the presidential elections on 28 May as “clean”. Questioned about whether the elections were “free and fair”, she said that she did not like these words. “Free and fair - I don't like these words. It's a case of clean elections after what we have seen. The standards were reached”, she said during a meeting organised by the US-European Media Hub. “The voting took place in normal conditions”, except in Dontesk, Lugansk and Crimea, she said. The Ukrainians voted with their “mind” and their “brain” but “not their heart”, and they elected someone according to the criterion of “who will be the best for the post”, Palacio stated. In her opinion, Porochenko, who will be sworn into office on 7 June, “was very clear and pragmatic” during their meeting, saying that he was determined to settle the security problems in the east of Ukraine. “Cooperation between the EU and the USA is absolutely essential”, Palacio added. (CG)