Donetsk, Mar 12 - DAN. The plan to set up a new platform for bilateral talks between Donbass and Ukraine will contribute to effective settlement of the conflict in the region, Donetsk People’s Republic Head Denis Pushilin told the Donetsk News Agency on Thursday.

“If Ukraine does not give in to alleged difficulties once again, we can count on concrete actions on their part in the future,” Pushilin said. “As for the announced possibility of a platform for dialogue between Donbass and Kiev, I note that we have long been saying that we need this decision.”

According to the DPR leader, the participation of representatives of the incumbent Ukrainian and Russian leadership in the Contact Group meeting on Wednesday cannot but give hope for a new productive round in the negotiations.

It was thanks to the enlarged meeting that the parties succeeded in drawing a protocol of all decisions and instructions for the first time. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had repeatedly stated their readiness for direct talks with Ukraine, he said.

“Only this format can contribute to the soonest, most effective and coordinated conflict settlement,” Pushilin said.

On March 11, Minsk hosted a meeting of the Contact Group on the settlement of the Donbass conflict. Dmitry Kozak, deputy head of the Russian presidential administration and Andrey Yermak, head of the Office of the Ukrainian President were among the participants.

The negotiators reached an accord stating the necessity to set up a special mechanism for discussing issues within the framework of the political subgroup. It would be a platform for the parties to the conflict enabling direct discussion of the issues that require settelment in accordance with the Package of Measures.*jk