Ukraine calls Russia's restrictions of Everburning Candle action as unfriendly move - MFA statement

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The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Ukraine has spread a statement over Russia's position on holding in its territory an international action Everburning Candle in memory of the 75th anniversary of the 1932 - 1933 Great Famine (Holodomor) in Ukraine.

The action organized by the Ukrainian state together with the World Congress of Ukrainians has taken place in 29 countries of the world, and its conduct in Russia with the participation of the Ukrainian community was officially agreed with authorities, the MFA says.

Yet, on the eve of the events, October 6, 2008. Ukraine's embassy in Russia received a note saying that the events being brought in line with the official position of the Russian Federation are cancelled.

The Ukrainian ministry says "Ukraine cannot realize the denial by the Russian party of the generally known facts of the crimes bearing the signs of genocide".

A source of Ukraine's particular concern is information that representatives of Russian federal authorities in regions where the action must take place pressurize Ukrainian community to frighten them and frustrate the events. "It is a large-scale planed campaign aimed actually as banning the Russian citizens of Ukrainian origin to realize their right to historical memory, memorizing millions of totalitarian rule victims, also recognized in Russia," the Ukrainian ministry says.

"The Ukrainian party describes this move as a fresh unfriendly and planned action against Ukraine and Ukrainians in Russia," the MFA says yet voicing hope that Russia realizes that the action has no political background, and there will be no obstacles to the expression of Ukrainians' will in the Russian Federation.

UKRINFORM