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DPR foreign ministry blames Kiev for sabotaging Minsk deal implementation

The ministry notes no progress in the local elections issue

A polling station during an election for government head and members of the People's Council of Donetsk People's Republic, 2014 Stanislav Grigoryev/TASS

A polling station during an election for government head and members of the People's Council of Donetsk People's Republic, 2014

© Stanislav Grigoryev/TASS

DONETSK, July 8. /TASS/. Kiev continues to sabotage the implementation of political part of the Minsk Agreements, and there is still not progress in this sphere, foreign minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Natalya Nikonorova said on Friday.

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"During yesterday’s visit to Kiev, US State Secretary (John) Kerry said that (Ukrainian President Pyotr) Poroshenko has made considerable progress in the issue of election and amnesty. It is not clear where the state secretary got this information from. At the Contact Group in Minsk, Kiev’s representatives openly sabotage work on these issues," Nikonorova said.

She noted that only Ukrainian servicemen were amnestied, and "there is no progress on elections." The DPR foreign minister added that all steps in the peace process should be coordinated with Donetsk and Lugansk, and Kiev’s possible unilateral actions are a waste of time. "There will be no elections in Donbass if the law on election is not coordinated with DPR and LPR (self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic) at the Contact Group," she concluded.

US State Secretary John Kerry said on July 7 at the press conference after talks with Poroshenko that "Ukraine is making a good-faith effort to implement Minsk."

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