Donetsk, Feb 12 - DAN. The Donetsk People’s Republic has marked the 3rd anniversary of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements amidst higher risks of renewed fighting in the region because of Kiev’s policy, the Republic’s representative in the Contact Group political subgroup, acting DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova told Donetsk News Agency.

“Today marks three years since the signing of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, the document that had to put an end to Ukraine’s fighting and make groundwork for a peaceful settlement,” Nikonorova said. “However, we mark the 3rd anniversary of Minsk-2 amidst mounting risks of renewed fighting whose price is people's lives on both side of the contact line.”

Over these three years of talks, Kiev has done nothing to implement the political provisions of the Minsk Agreements, such as the law on special status, the modalities for local elections, amnesty and amendments to the Ukrainian constitutions. This caused stagnation in the negotiations.

“Ukraine shows its lack of interest in restoring peace in Donbass making no productive moves and creating a semblance of activity towards implementing the Package of Measures. Nevertheless, we’re confident that the show Kiev is putting on will not impress the Minsk Agreements guarantor countries or the international organisations which are increasingly aware of Ukraine’s unreliability as a diplomatic process participant,” Nikonorova said.

The Agreements dated 5 and 19 September 2014 and 12 February 2015 forged by the Contact Group in Minsk make groundwork for a peaceful settlement of the Donbass conflict. The Contact Group set forth a peace plan and agreed a ceasefire, then adopted the Memorandum on ceasefire implementation and later on the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements. It envisioned immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Donbass starting 15 February 2015, withdrawal of heavy weapons, establishment of security zones, discussion of the modalities for the resumption of payment of pensions and allowances to DPR and LPR citizens, and constitutional reform in Ukraine which should result in deep decentralisation.

DPR representatives at Minsk talks have repeatedly stated that despite the accords reached at international venues Ukraine has been blocking the Minsk process all the time, clearly unwilling to promote a peaceful Donbass dialogue. *jk