Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine explains G7 stance on elections in Donbas

Ukraine should pass its part of the way in implementation of the Minsk agreements regarding preparation of holding local elections in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and should not use the existing security problems in these regions as an excuse for delaying the preparation process.

Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi said this to journalists when telling about the results of the G7 summit that was held in the Japanese city of Ise-Shima on May 26-27 this year.

"The G7 Summit Declaration contains the thesis about local elections in certain areas of Donbas without chronological order of what should go first. All G7 countries are aware of the importance of safety. We understand when Ukraine wonders how it is possible to hold elections without safe conditions. At the same time, according to the G7 countries, Ukraine also needs to start to prepare for holding local elections, to develop a preliminary draft law on these elections," the Japanese diplomat said, responding to the question of an Ukrinform correspondent.

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