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British PM calls UN chief to discuss eastern Ukraine ceasefire

Xinhua, February 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday made a phone call to United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the situation in Ukraine and how the United Nations could support the ceasefire.

"The Prime Minister and UN Secretary General agreed that negotiations were making progress, noting that the latest draft resolution importantly underlines the need to fully respect Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity," a Downing Street spokesperson said following their phone call.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande reached a peace agreement on Thursday in Minsk, capital of Belarus.

The accord includes a ceasefire from February 15, withdrawal of heavy weapons from the frontline, election timelines in eastern Ukraine, border control and prisoner exchange.

The four leaders held a teleconference on Sunday to demand the warring parties in eastern Ukraine execute the comprehensive ceasefire agreement without preconditions, according to an online Kremlin statement.

In his phone call with Ban Ki-moon, Cameron also raised his concerns about the situation in Libya, following the reported murder of Christians by the Islamic State (IS) group.

The IS group in Libya released a video on Sunday purportedly showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians.

Cameron emphasized Britain's support for the UN process which is seeking to break the deadlock on Libya.

Ban Ki Moon "agreed with him and set out the progress being made by his Special Representative in his talks with Libyan representatives," the Downing Street spokesperson said.

The two leaders also talked about the situation in Yemen, and the United Nation's post 2015 development goals.

"The Prime Minister reiterated the need to ensure that the goals were clear and concise, and that the UK stood ready to support the UNSG (UN Secretary General) in his efforts to achieve this," the spokesperson noted. Enditem