Moscow urges West to back dialogue between Kiev, rebels

Moscow, Nov 19 (IANS/TASS) Moscow has urged Western countries to support a dialogue between Kiev and the southeast Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday.

In his address to Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, Lavrov stressed on the need to achieve stable peace and national reconciliation in the war-torn Ukraine.

"We call to establish stable contacts between Kiev and the southeast Ukraine with the goal of reaching mutually acceptable agreements, and not making every effort for the reckless support of the 'party of war'," Lavrov said.

According to the UN, over 4,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have fled as a result of clashes between the Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian militias in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine.

Kiev's military operation, conducted since mid-April, has been aimed at regaining control over the breakaway territories.

--IANS/TASS

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