Donetsk, Nov 22 - DAN. Kiev representatives in the political subgroup have not decided on their position on applying the law on the special status of Donbass, despite the promises of former Ukrainian Contact Group representative Leonid Kuchma, the Donetsk People’s Republic Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
“By today’s meeting of the political subgroup, two years have passed since Leonid Kuchma (former Ukrainian representative in Minsk- eds Donetsk News Agency) promised to table Ukraine’s position on the law on the special status of Donbass and the amnesty,” the Ministry said. “However, this has not happened as Ukraine failed to engage in a meaningful discussion of the key agenda items.”
DPR envoy to the Minsk talks Natalia Nikonorova noted that at the present time, the Ukrainian representatives in the political subgroup continued to put a brake on the discussion of the issue.
The Ukrainian representatives insist without justification that they have no authority to discuss in Minsk the compromised procedure for enforcing the law on the special status of Donbass. “At the previous meeting in Minsk, the Ukrainian envoy said that he had sufficient powers for any actions,” Nikonorova added.
Kiev’s uncertainty prevent productive discussion of the agenda items aiming to sabotage the negotiations, the DPR diplomat said.
The Contact Group for a peaceful settlement in Donbass began talks in Minsk earlier on Thursday.
Former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma said on September 28 that he would step down as Kiev representative in the Contact Group. The DPR Foreign Ministry said that Kuchma’s resignation might have a negative impact on the solution of the special Donbass status issue.*jk