Summoned by Slovenia over the latest escalation in Ukraine, the ambassador was received by head of the Directorate for Bilateral Relations and European Affairs at the Foreign Ministry Tadej Rupel, according to a press release from the ministry.

The release says that the ministry is following the developments in Ukraine with concern. The ministry expresses the expectation for the Ukrainian authorities and security forces to respect people's freedom of peaceful assembly and to refrain from using force in any way.

Protesters gathered in Kiev's central square have been expressing their discontent over the internal political situation in the country and campaigning for closer ties with the EU. The use of force against the protesters is unacceptable and goes against democratic principles, which are also declaratively advocated by the Ukrainian government, the statement reads.

The ministry made a repeated call on all relevant players in Ukraine to engage in dialogue to craft a common vision on the country's future.

The statement comes after Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec announced at a session of the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee that Slovenia would summon the Ukrainian ambassador over the latest developments, which Erjavec said were cause for concern.