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           Anti-Government Protests Continue in Ukraine as OSCE Meets

   by VOA News

   Thousands of Ukrainian protesters are keeping up their vigil in Kyiv,
   where western diplomats have gathered for a meeting of the Organization
   for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
   Demonstrators have been calling for the ouster of President Viktor
   Yanukovych, after he backed out of a trade deal with the European
   Union.
   On Thursday, several western officials attending the OSCE meeting
   challenged the Ukrainian government to consider the protesters'
   concerns.
   U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland attended the meeting
   and said this was "Ukraine's moment to meet the aspirations of its
   people" or to disappoint them.
   Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced Western criticism of
   Ukraine's handling of the demonstrations.
   ''
   Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told the group his government
   was "ready for dialogue" with the protesters.
   Yanukovych is visiting China.
   On Wednesday, three former Ukrainian heads of state - Leonid Kravchuk,
   Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko - issued a joint statement,
   endorsing the anti-government protests.
   The protests erupted last week, after the Yanukovych government refused
   to sign the EU trade deal, announcing instead that it would seek to
   preserve and strengthen its economic lifeline with Moscow.
   Russia - Ukraine's largest foreign investor, trading partner and chief
   natural gas supplier - has in recent months exerted strong economic
   pressure on cash-strapped Kyiv aimed at derailing the EU deal.
   Earlier this year, Moscow imposed restrictions on goods from Ukraine,
   forcing a 25-percent drop in Ukrainian exports and dragging the
   Ukrainian economy into recession.
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   kraine-as-osce-meets/1804204.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/antigovernment-protests-continue-in-ukraine-as-osce-meets/1804204.html