Interfax: Russia takes steps to establish interaction with Ukraine on issue of humanitarian aid – Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) – Russia is ready for cooperation with Ukraine on the issue of humanitarian assistance supplies and is already taking steps in this direction, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“Moscow is ready for close constructive cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities on issues relating to the supply of humanitarian assistance to civilians who are suffering from the acute conflict in Ukraine,” the ministry said in a report posted on its website on Friday.

The Foreign Ministry pointed out the recent steps to establish such interaction.

Specifically, the Russian Foreign Ministry on April 6 and 7 sent a letter written by Russian Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov to Zoryan Shkiryak, who was then acting head of the Ukrainian Emergency Situations Service, asking him to promptly send Ukraine’s proposals on improvements in the humanitarian assistance work.

“In its note of April 9, 2015, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated some proposals and suggested holding in mid April 2015 working consultations between representatives of the sides’ relevant agencies to develop an algorithm of interaction in the delivery of humanitarian assistance,” the report says.