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DPR insists that Kiev must agree law concerning Donbass with Donetsk and Lugansk

Under provision 11 of the Minsk Package, Kiev must agree specifics of governance in the DPR and LPR with their representatives

DONETSK, July 13. /TASS/. Kiev must agree any laws concerning Donbass with the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), otherwise its will be a violation of the Minsk agreements, DPR’s acting Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova said on Wednesday commenting on Ukraine’s plans to pass a law on reintegration of Donbass.

"[Kiev’s] adopting any acts concerning Donbass without agreeing them with the republics is violation of the Minsk agreements," the Donetsk News Agency quoted her as saying.

To re-win trust of people lining in the DPR and LPR, Ukraine "should better implement the accords and provisions of the Package of Measures on the implementation of the Minsk agreements as envisaged by Package, i.e. in consultations and upon agreement with the republics rather than submit to the parliament non-agreed bills, especially those that provide for ‘reintegration’ by means of the Ukrainian army," she stressed.

Under provision 11 of the Minsk Package, Kiev must agree specifics of governance in the DPR and LPR with their representatives. Apart from that, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament) must pass a law on Donbass’ special status.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian media published the text of the bill on reintegration of Donbass, which is expected to be considered by the Verkhovna Rada at the autumn session. Under the bill, reintegration of Donbass implies a possibility of the Ukrainian president’s imposing a martial law in the region and the use of the armed forces in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The document has it that Ukraine considers the Donbass regions that are outside its control as "temporarily occupied by Russia." Apart from that, the bill envisages passing control over trade in non-controlled territories to Ukrainian law enforcers and declares all local self-governments in the Donbass republics illegal.

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