Donetsk, Feb 15 – DAN. Kiev representatives in the Minsk political group who refuse to consider Steinmeier’s formula are again taking negotiations into a vicious circle, acting DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova said on Wednesday.
“At the latest summits, all “Normandy Four” leaders and Mr Poroshenko (Ukrainian president – eds Donetsk News Agency) twice agreed to follow Steinmeier’s formula and prepare necessary amendments to Ukrainian legislation,” Nikonorova said.
“Our opponents noted that if representatives in Minsk objected to the edited formula of the guarantor countries, it would be submitted to the Minsk working groups for finalizing, whereupon it would be returned to the Normandy Four format. Ukraine’s current position creates a “vicious circle” which might protract the discussion in all formats for years,” the official said.
Kiev keeps protracting the talks, trying to substitute the Minsk format, the key negotiating platform, with Normandy Four talks to keep out the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, she went on.
“Ukraine ignores the fact that its refusal to take part in discussions and blocking the groups’ work is fully at variance with the Package of Measures, through it continues to formally declare its commitment to the Minsk Agreements,” the DPR diplomat said.
DPR and LPR representatives repeatedly stated after the recent Minsk talks that Ukraine deliberately protracted the political subgroup’s work by refusing to discuss Steinmeier formula implementation. DPR and LPR also urged a clear negotiating procedure in view of Ukraine’s inconsistency.
The formula suggested by former German Foreign Minister Frank –Walther Steinmeier (incumbent German president) outlines the principles of implementation of the Ukrainian law “On local self-government order in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk region”. According to his plan, the law should be enforced on the day of local elections on a temporary basis, and permanently upon OSCE publishing its report on the elections outcome.*jk