Political solution the only way out for Ukrainian issue: Chinese envoy

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations Wednesday called on all sides in eastern Ukraine to cease fire, saying that a political solution is "the only way out for the Ukrainian issue."

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, told a Security Council meeting on Ukraine that China is deeply concerned of the continuing unrest and surging violence in eastern Ukraine, which resulted in casualties and damage.

The top priority is that all relevant sides should fully implement the Minsk agreement signed in September 2014, stay calm and exercise restraint, to prevent further escalation of conflict and confrontation, as well as to achieve as soon as possible, ceasefire and cessation of violence in eastern Ukraine, Liu said.

"China believes that a political solution is the only way out for the Ukrainian issue," said he, adding that the crisis in Ukraine is rooted in complex historical facts and contemporary causes.

"A fundamental solution of the Ukrainian issue lies in taking into full account the legitimate rights and aspirations of all regions and ethnic groups of Ukraine, while paying attention to settling the reasonable concerns of all the parties involved, so that the interests of all parties can be balanced," he said.

China welcomes and supports recent positive efforts of the relevant parties to push forward the political solution of the Ukrainian issue, said he.

Liu noted that China hopes a "comprehensive, balanced and lasting" political settlement can be found through such mediation mechanism such as Normandy and Minsk formats, in order to achieve peace, security, stability and development in Ukraine as well as in the region as a whole.

"We support all actions conducive to the holding of dialogue and consultations in search of a political solution of the Ukrainian crisis," said he, stressing that China will maintain its just and objective position in playing a positive and constructive role in the process. Endite