Brussels, 10/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - The German and French foreign affairs ministers, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Laurent Fabius respectively, have both said that there is hope of de-escalation in Ukraine. “I am not saying that we have already found a way out of the crisis but the escalation has given way to a new atmosphere. (…) We can see the end of the tunnel”, said Steinmeier after talks with his Russian and Polish counterparts. “We are in a situation where there is the possibility of de-escalation”, he added, stating that all parties are ready to take action for this. Fabius believed there was “the prospect, the hope of de-escalation”.
Elsewhere, attending the investiture of Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy stated that an “inclusive and comprehensive dialogue will no doubt be an important part in leading forward this process of transformation” in Ukraine. In Van Rompuy's opinion, the clear majority that Poroshenko garnered in the elections (54.7% of the vote) shows “the resolve of the Ukrainian people to bring stability back to their country and overcome the challenges it has been facing”.
In his inaugural speech, Poroshenko returned to the subject of his country's European future. “We need to sign the economic part of the [association] agreement as soon as possible”, he said. He added: “we don't have the right to delay the signature of the economic part”. He added that he believed this agreement was “the first step towards full EU accession”. Poroshenko also announced that, with the initial stage of introducing visas being finished, “we will manage to finish the second stage very quickly so that Ukrainians can travel visa-free from January 2015”. (CG)