KIEV, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko discussed the United Nation's (UN) role in resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a working visit to the UN headquarters in New York, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service reported Friday.
Prystaiko underlined the vital role the UN plays in providing humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian civilians affected by the conflict, and in supporting the Ukrainian government's efforts to implement reforms and achieve its Sustainable Development Goals plan.
"I'm sure that the UN can play an active role in other aspects ... in particular in the context of the possible deployment of a peacekeeping operation, as well as in the restoration and reintegration of the Ukrainian regions affected by the conflict," he said.
Meanwhile, Guterres reassured the UN's further readiness to provide practical assistance to Ukraine in difficult times.
The ongoing conflict between the Ukrainian government and pro-independence armed groups in eastern Ukraine broke out in April 2014. According to the UN, some 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict since then.
Earlier this year, the UN Office in Ukraine presented a humanitarian response plan for the country totaling 158 million U.S. dollars to assist the two million most vulnerable civilians on both sides of the conflict.
