The Secretary-General is encouraged by the agreement reached between President Yanukovych and opposition leaders on a process for the settlement of the crisis in Ukraine. He has called President Yanukovych today to personally welcome this important step forward. The Secretary-General stressed that it will be critical to ensure the swift implementation of the agreement in order to de-escalate the situation in the country and initiate a peaceful solution to the crisis. The Secretary-General commends the spirit of compromise, as well as the collaborative international approach to finding a resolution to the crisis.

The Secretary-General also welcomes the signing into law of the resolution passed by Parliament yesterday, which has resulted in the start of a pullback by police from the centre of Kiev. He reiterates his appeal for no violence and for dialogue to remain the primary channel for addressing the numerous grievances that have surfaced.

The Secretary-General hopes that these developments and subsequent constructive efforts of key actors and parties will lead to a definitive end to the crisis in Ukraine and open the way for the country to embark on a genuine process of reform.