MOSCOW, August 23 (RIA Novosti) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to continue cooperation with the Russian Foreign Ministry, including on the issues related to the situation in Ukraine, the Red Cross spokeswoman in Moscow Victoria Zotikova told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
“Overall, we are in constant contact with the Russian Foreign Ministry. That is because the Foreign Ministry is Russia’s primary organization. We have never interrupted this contact and are ready to continue it over all the issues related to the International Red Cross activities, including over the consequences of the situation in Ukraine,” Zotikova said.
Earlier on Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that Moscow welcomed ICRC decision to continue humanitarian aid mission in eastern Ukraine, including the participation of the organization in distribution of aid to the neediest. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the ICRC “proved to be a responsible partner.”
On Friday, several dozens of Russian trucks carrying humanitarian aid to violence-torn Luhansk and Donetsk regions crossed the border with Ukraine allegedly without clearance by Ukrainian customs officials and without escort provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Moscow said Ukrainian authorities had been holding up for days the delivery of humanitarian aid to the trapped civilians in besieged Luhansk.
Russia’s action prompted anger in Kiev and a number of Western countries who accused Moscow of a military intervention and violation of Ukraine’s borders.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Kiev’s dragging on the process of delivering Russian humanitarian aid to eastern Ukraine seemed to be an attempt to create a situation when there is no one left to be helped.
On August 14, the trucks with Russian humanitarian aid arrived at the border, but Ukraine began customs clearance only on August 21.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reminded that Moscow received a formal agreement from Kiev authorities for the passage of the humanitarian convoy through the Ukrainian border on August 12.
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