The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed surprise
The MFA of Ukraine expresses surprise at the information concerning the detention on the February 1, 2008 at the Airport “Pulkovo-1” in Sankt Petersburg of the Citizen of Ukraine, Director of the International Democracy Institute S.V.Taran, according to the MFA press-service.
The motivation of S.Taran detention is incomprehensible – the presence of his name in the list as a persona non grata for entering the territory of the Russian Federation.
As is known the research interests of S.Taran, Director of the International Democracy Institute, are not focused at the Russian issues. Besides he was heading to Sankt Petersburg with a view to take part at the trade union conference, not in the public discussions on social-political subject matters. Thus the motivation of his detention remains unclear.
It is upsetting that such a step was made on the eve of extremely important events within Ukrainian-Russian relations.
The Press Service of the MFA of Ukraine assesses the detention of Ukraine’s citizen S.Taran in Sankt Petersburg under the motivation of his unwelcomed entering to the territory of the Russian Federation as a step which not responds to the spirit of good neighbourly relations between Ukraine and Russia.