Parubiy: Parliament to consider bill on Donbas reintegration in mid-January

Speaker Andriy Parubiy stated this at a parliament’s sitting on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“I am sure that we will start the next plenary week, after January 16, from the consideration of the law on de-occupation and recognition of Russia as an aggressor,” he said.

Parubiy stressed that the adoption of the law is "fundamentally important for the Ukrainian parliament”.

As Ukrinform earlier reported, President Petro Poroshenko submitted the bill on the peculiarities of state policy on securing Ukraine's state sovereignty over temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions for parliament’s consideration on October 4. The bill passed first reading on October 6.

In particular, the draft law defines the legal regime of certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions as temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, as well as the purpose and means of the state policy on securing Ukraine's state sovereignty over these territories, especially the realization and protection of the rights of Ukrainian citizens residing there.

According to the text of the bill, the temporary occupation of parts of Ukrainian territory has become one of the consequences of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.

The draft law envisages that the boundaries of temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions are determined by a motion from the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Also, it is planned to legislatively secure that the temporary occupation by Russia of the territories in Donbas is illegitimate and does not create any territorial rights for Russia.

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