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Kiev has no plans to confirm Donbass special status in Constitution, envoy says

Leonid Kravchuk stressed Kiev understood that Donbass seriously differs from other parts of the country and the parliament is ready to offer special conditions of self-government

KIEV, November 8. /TASS/. Ukraine’s parliament plans to pass a law on the features of local self-government in Donbass taking into account the wishes of certain areas in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions with certain conditions, but is not going to confirm a special status in the Constitution, Leonid Kravchuk, who heads the Ukrainian delegation in the Contact Group seeking peace for Donbass, said in an interview with TASS.

"We are speaking about certain conditions of local self-government on these territories, which could be confirmed by the law. The Rada should pass this law and it will do this," said Kravchuk, who authored "The Plan of Joint Steps."

The law will take into account the features of executive power and issues related to legal aspects and many other issues of public life, he noted. Ukraine is ready to "envisage other humanitarian and language features of life on these territories."

Meanwhile, the head of Ukraine’s delegation is convinced that there is no talk on confirming a special status in the Constitution as stipulated by the Minsk peace deal. "Ukraine is a mono state. The Constitution cannot outline local self-government for a certain territory with illegal formations. Then this is a federal state with the form of existence, which the world has not ever seen," he said. If this special status is confirmed for Donbass then other Ukrainian regions could wish to do that, Kravchuk suggested.

However, he stressed Kiev understood that Donbass seriously differs from other parts of the country and the parliament is ready to offer special conditions of self-government.

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