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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Ukraine's self-proclaimed republics urge Kiev to agree on Donbas special status

A meeting of the Contact Group and its working sub-groups is due in the Belarusian capital Minsk on August 3

Denis Pushilin and Vladislav Deinego talking to reporters Viktor Drachyov/TASS

Denis Pushilin and Vladislav Deinego talking to reporters

© Viktor Drachyov/TASS

MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/. Chief negotiators of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics (DPR and LPR) have urged Ukraine’s representatives in the Contact Group on the Ukrainian crisis resolution and the sub-group on political issues to make the final agreement on the special status of Donbas.

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"We request that you reach the final agreements on issues of enactment of the law on the special status, granting amnesty to the combat operations’ participants both from the side of the militias and Ukraine, as well as the organization of local elections in Donbas under a separate special law," the DPR and LPR negotiators, Denis Pushilin and Vladislav Deinego, said in the run-up to a meeting of the Contact Group and its working sub-groups in the Belarusian capital Minsk due on August 3.

They also said that they have "once again sent to the Contact Group proposals on the settlement of these issues."

The LPR and DPR representatives said the republics were committed to fulfilling all the requirements of the Package of Measures to implement the Minsk agreements within the established deadlines.

"Therefore, we consider it necessary to accelerate our work. If we fail to settle these issues on August 3, we propose to Ukraine’s representatives to continue the work in Minsk until August 4 and August 5, if need be. If it takes a week, we are ready to stay in Minsk for the whole week," the LPR and DPR representatives said in a joint statement posted on the website of the Luhansk Inform Center.

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Eastern Ukraine

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