KIEV, July 30. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky replaced former president Leonid Kuchma, 81, with former president Leonid Kravchuk, 86, as the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Contact Group on Donbass peace settlement. Zelensky’s order was published on the president’s official website Thursday.
"Introduce Leonid Kravchuk - president of Ukraine between 1991 and 1994 - to the Ukrainian delegation to the trilateral Contact Group, defining him as the head of the delegation; withdraw Leonid Kuchma from the delegation membership, freeing him of obligations as the head of the delegation," the order says. The order enters force since the day of its publishing.
Presidential administration announced Thursday that Zelensky decided to appoint Kravchuk as the plenipotentiary representative to the Contact Group, because he "has experience, necessary for engaging in negotiations at such level."
Besides, the administration noted that the new delegation head will "actively explain the decisions, discussed and made within the group, to the Ukrainian society."
Earlier on Thursday, Kravchuk, 86, announced that he agreed to become a new head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Contact group and promised to do everything necessary for establishment of peace in the region.
On July 28, the administration announced Kuchma’s decision to end his work in the Contact Group.