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Ukraine Contact Group notes "good exchange of views" — OSCE official

Martin Sajdik commented on the reaction of Kiev’s representative in the Contact Group for the Ukraine settlement on Gryzlov’s proposals

Martin Sajdik (center), Special Representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office in Ukraine EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH

Martin Sajdik (center), Special Representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office in Ukraine

© EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH

MINSK, January 27 /TASS/. Proposals of Boris Gryzlov, Russia’s representative for Ukraine’s constitutional reform and the Donbas special status in the Contact Group for the Ukraine settlement, dominated the Contact Group’s meeting in Minsk on Wednesday, according to Martin Sajdik, the Special Representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office in Ukraine.

We had a good exchange of views in which the Ukrainian side took an active part, he said commenting on the reaction of Kiev’s representative in the Contact Group for the Ukraine settlement on Gryzlov’s proposals.

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"A vote on the Ukrainian Constitution should be tightly linked to the simultaneous adoption of amendments to Articles 1 and 10 of the law on the special status to ensure its permanent nature in accordance with the Steinmeier formula," Gryzlov said on Wednesday elaborating on the Russian delegation’s stance at the Minsk talks.

According to Gryzlov, the Contact Group should agree on amendments to the law on the Donbas special status.

"We need to find a legal formula to guarantee that paragraph 18 of the interim provisions of the Constitution will refer to the existing version of articles 2-9 of the law on the special status and to the new editions of articles 1 and 10 adopted by the Contact Group," Gryzlov said, adding that the formula should be enshrined in Ukraine’s Constitution.

"It is also necessary to enshrine in Ukraine’s Constitution that the powers of persons elected in Donbas under a separate law should not terminate in 2017, as stipulated by the Constitutional reform for the whole of Ukraine," Gryzlov said.

The adoption of Ukraine’s permanent legislation on Donbas special status, including by means of introducing constitutional amendments, is a fundamental requirement of the peaceful settlement principles, on which the Normandy Four leaders agreed in Minsk.

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