Commentary by Spokesman of Ukrainian MFA on report of Russia's MFA Information and Press Department for mass media of July 25, 2008

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Ukraine's Foreign Ministry accepted with concern a report for mass media made public by the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry of July 25, 2008 in which the Russian MFA gives estimates to some events that have recently taken place in Ukraine. We are convinced that the estimates given do not correspond to reality, they are too politicized and far from being objective.

We are concerned about the fact that the Russian side, without an extra diplomatic tactfulness, gave estimates to the events that are generally related to home policy. A more revealing fact is unconcealed intention of the Russian party to link these events, reaction of the Ukrainian side in particular, with the current state and prospects of development of Ukraine-Russia relations, having preliminary made the Ukrainian side responsible for "fatal consequences". If the Russian party has in view the latest hooligan act of the Eurasian Union of Youth as "the fatal consequences", so we call on the Russian side to immediately undertake all measures to stop provocative actions as regards the Ukrainian diplomatic establishment in Moscow.

The ministry treats the reaction of the Russian side to the prohibition for Russian citizen Konstantin Zatulin to visit Ukraine as inadequate. In this connection we would like to remind that with a decision of the relevant agencies of Ukraine's governmental authorities based on part 2, article 2 of the Law of Ukraine "On Legal Status of Foreigners of Stateless People", K. Zatulin was forbidden Ukraine for a year.

A more significant unacceptability and concern is raised over groundless accusation of the Russia party of alleged "disrespectful treatment" with hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church during their participation in marking in Ukraine of the 1020th anniversary of Rus baptism. We are surprised by the fact that in the temporal state the Foreign Ministry estimates the program of participation of the Russian Orthodox Church representatives in the events mentioned above, which was coordinated with them in advance.

The ministry strongly rejects the estimates the Russian side made public. We are convinced that the mentioned events that took place in Ukraine's territory ran in the strict accordance with the national legislation and hence should not have a negative influence on the high level Ukraine-Russia cooperation.

UKRINFORM