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Donbass leaders: Kiev has to coordinate all steps with DPR, LPR as part of Minsk deal

The leaders stressed that Donbass "will not recognize the Ukrainian laws that have not been coordinated with its representatives and moreover will not hold elections in line with them"

Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the Donetsk republic Mikhail Sokolov/TASS

Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the Donetsk republic

© Mikhail Sokolov/TASS

MOSCOW, June 3. /TASS/. Peace in Donbass is possible only if the sides comply with the Minsk deal and Kiev coordinates all the points of accords with Donbass, the leaders of the two self-proclaimed republics said in a joint statement on Friday.

The leader of the Donetsk republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, and his counterpart in the Lugansk republic Igor Plotnitsky remind that the Minsk peace deal "clearly envisages the coordination of all laws and regulations with the representatives of the DPR and LPR."

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Over the past 18 months, the authorities in Donbass have submitted a range of proposed constitutional amendments and a bill on elections but the Ukrainian side has not reacted so far. "At the same time the Ukrainian parliament puts up for consideration and even adopts some laws and announces the adoption of constitutional amendments allegedly in line with implementing the Minsk agreements what is in fact blatant lie," says the statement posted on the website of the Donetsk News Agency.

Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky stressed that Donbass "will not recognize the Ukrainian laws that have not been coordinated with its representatives and moreover will not hold elections in line with them."

They also said the position of Ukraine in regard to changes to the country’s main law is destructive. "We will consider the adoption of amendments to Ukraine’s constitution that have not been coordinated with the DPR and LPR as the rudest violation of the Minsk agreements and this will in its turn complicate the discussion of other points of agreements, including the control over border of the LPR and the DPR with the Russian Federation," the leaders said.

"Only the coordination of all positions with the representatives of the people’s republics, only full and mutual implementation of all points of the Minsk agreements can lead to peace in Donbass and in Ukraine," they said.

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