On March 20 in Belgrade (Serbia) international conference "Ukrainian crisis - views from Ukraine, Germany and Serbia” was organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Center for International and Security Affairs of Serbia.
The conference was attended by the member of the European Parliament from Germany, Vice-President of the Group of Socialists and Democrats Mr. Knut W. Fleckenstein, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Democratic Party Mr. Borko Stefanovic, former Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in the USA, Professor of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Belgrade Mr. Ivan Vujacyc, former Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro Ms. Alexandra Joksimovic, directors of Friedrich Ebert Foundation office in Belgrade Mr. Heinz A. Huthmacher and Serbian Centre for International and Security Mr. Nikola Petrovic, Radio Free Europe broadcaster Mr. Dragan Stavljanyn and several other scholars and political leaders of Serbia and some representatives of the Diplomatic Corps in Belgrade.
From Ukraine the Leading Expert of the Center of Russian Studies, Ambassador Borys Bazylevskyi, Chairman, Board of Advisers of the Kyiv School of Economics, the former Minister of Economical Development and Trade of Ukraine (2014) Mr. Pavlo Sheremeta, a Leading Expert of the Razumkov Centre Mr. Victor Zamyatin participated at the conference.
Conference participants discussed the comprehensive political, economic and other aspects of the deep crisis in Ukraine, its causes and challenges that it has for security in the region, in Europe and in general in the world. The majority emphasized that the main cause of the deepening crisis is primarily Russian aggression against Ukraine, annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea by Russia, continued aggressive actions by Russia in occupying the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk regions by way of supplying arms to terrorist groups in these areas and by sending there contract recruits within the Russian regular units.
In general, the position of the Ukrainian delegation was supported that meant that the crisis in Ukraine can be quickly overcome if Russia stops interference into internal affairs of Ukraine, withdraws its arms from the Ukrainian territories and Ukrainian would be able to establish control over the entire length of the border with Russia.
The participants also agreed on the necessity of such joint confrences in the future.