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Formation of constitutional commission in Ukraine major breakthrough — Belarus leader

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree setting up a constitutional commission for developing amendments to the country’s fundamental law

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko welcomed on Tuesday the setting up of a constitutional commission in Ukraine, saying this meant decisions of the Minsk summit were being implemented.

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At talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the host of the Normandy Four meeting on February 11-12 said "Many were sarcastic, were joking, but we were sure that the meeting was needed and the presidents' decisions would be implemented, all of them".

Citing media reports saying Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree to set up a constitutional commission, Lukashenko said "Work on the Constitution begins, and all issues can be solved within the framework of that process" "This is a great breakthrough," the Belarusian leader said.

The Belarusian capital of Minsk hosted on February 12 summit talks of Normandy Four leaders - Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The 16-hour marathon summit negotiations ended in a package of agreements, which in particular envisaged ceasefire between the Ukrainian conflicting sides starting from midnight on February 15, withdrawal of all heavy weapons by both sides, a dialogue on political future of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as a constitutional reform in Ukraine with adoption of a new constitution by the end of 2015, decentralization being among its key elements.

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Ukraine crisis Belarus Eastern Ukraine Alexander Lukashenko

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