DONETSK/LUGANSK, September 6. /TASS/. Heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik have agreed to establish a joint economic space, reads the declaration issued following their meeting held on Monday via videoconference.

"The Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic <…> declare the creation of strategic partnership relations between them in the economic, customs and tax spheres," says the declaration which is quoted by Donetsk News Agency.

"The sides express commitment to strengthen and develop economic cooperation on key bilateral issues primarily through creating a unified economic space," the joint declaration reads.

The DPR and LPR will coordinate efforts as well as exchange experience and information in the economic, customs and tax regulation spheres, the declaration notes. To this end, the republics have agreed to synchronize their legislations in these spheres as well as adopt and realize synchronized programs of social and economic development for 2022-2024.

Mass protests broke out in eastern Ukraine, mostly populated by Russian-speaking citizens, following a coup d’etat in Ukraine in February 2014 and President Viktor Yanukovich’s ouster. In mid-April of the same year, Kiev’s authorities launched a military operation in Donbass in response. Heavy shelling of residential areas, including the use of aviation, caused large-scale humanitarian disaster in the region. The armed conflict has left more than 13,000 people dead and more than 30,000 injured. Up to 1,500,000 people have been internally displaced.

Amid worsening hostilities, the territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions beyond Kiev's control on May 11 held referendums on self-determination. The turnout in the LPR was 81% and in the DPR, 75%. Self-determination was supported by 96.2% and 89.7% respectively. The next day, on May 12, 2014, the state sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics was proclaimed.