Ukraine hosts national unity talks to end crisis

Kiev, May 14 (IANS) The Ukrainian leadership and government officials, lawmakers and international mediators gathered here Wednesday for a roundtable "national unity" talks aimed at ending the prolonged crisis in the country.

The meeting was focused on the situation in Ukraine's eastern regions and was held under a roadmap drafted by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Xinhua reported.

Among other issues, the forum discussed preparation for the upcoming presidential vote in the East European country scheduled for May 25.

During the talks, German diplomat Walter Ischinger, who was the event's mediator, emphasised that the presidential election was one of Ukraine's top short-term priorities.

"Our main goal is to ensure an inclusive, fair and transparent electoral process in Ukraine," Ischinger said.

Alexandr Turchynov, Ukraine's acting President, agreed with Ischinger and said that stabilisation of the security situation in eastern Ukraine will contribute to the smooth running of the vote.