All news

DPR envoy reports no constructive discussion on "Steinmeier formula" in Minsk

In January, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier put forward a mechanism for settling the Donbass conflict, proposing a law on special local governance

DONETSK, October 26. /TASS/. The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) expects assistance in the implementation of the so-called "Steinmeier formula" from the countries, which are guarantors to the Minsk deal, DPR envoy at the Contact Group’s Minsk talks Denis Pushilin said on Wednesday.

"We had not expected constructive talks on this highly important issue (implementation of the ‘Steinmeier formula’) at today’s meeting in Minsk. We are hoping that the influence of the countries-guarantors on Ukraine will be immediate so that at the next meeting in Minsk on November 9 we can go ahead with implementation of the Normandy Four group’s (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine) recommendations," the Donetsk news agency quoted Pushilin as saying.

The DPR keeps sticking to implementation of the "Steinmeier formula," he said.

"The formula was suggested and approved at the summit held in Paris on October 2, 2015. Nonetheless, over the past year the Ukrainian side has been stalling discussions on the issue at the political working subgroup, trying to remove the issue from agenda and actually, has been sabotaging this work," he said.

"At the summit held in Berlin on October 19, 2016, the "Steinmeier formula" was again supported by all leaders of the Normandy Four group, including the leader of Ukraine," Pushilin said.

In January, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier put forward a mechanism for settling the Donbass conflict later named "the Steinmeier formula." Germany’s top diplomat proposed a law on special local governance in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions be temporarily introduced on the election day and brought permanently into effect after the OSCE report on the elections has been published.

At the summit held on October 19 in Berlin, the Normandy Four leaders agreed that a road map on the implementation of the Minsk accords should be hammered out by the end of November.