Ukraine fulfilling its obligations under Minsk agreements - French Foreign Ministry

24.11.2020 11:09

Ukrinform

The Ukrainian side is trying to avoid a legal vacuum in its national legislation regarding certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, demonstrating its commitment to implement the Minsk agreements, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France on November 23.

"On December 12, 2019, Ukraine had once again extended the law currently in force [on special provisions for local self-government in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions] to avoid a legal vacuum, demonstrating its commitment to fully implement the Minsk agreements," the statement reads.

The French Foreign Ministry recalled that at the Paris summit in December 2019, the heads of state and government of the Normandy Format agreed on the need to enshrine the "Steinmeier formula" in Ukrainian law.

According to the statement, since then, discussions have continued within the Trilateral Contact Group under the auspices of the OSCE on the specific means of integrating the "Steinmeier formula" into Ukrainian law.

"We regret that these talks have not moved forward for several weeks, leaving Ukraine no other choice but to renew the existing text [of the law]," the ministry said.

It stressed that together with Germany, France is pursuing its efforts within the Normandy Format to get the parties to implement the commitments made at the Paris summit in order to move toward the establishment of a just and lasting peace in eastern Ukraine.

The law of Ukraine "On the special order of local self-government in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," adopted on December 12, 2019, remains in force until December 31, 2020.

The so-called "Steinmeier formula" determines the procedure for implementing the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, proposed by German politician Frank-Walter Steinmeier, including the conditions for holding elections in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The Ukrainian side demands that such elections should be held according to international standards and under the control of the OSCE only after the complete withdrawal of Russian troops, the restoration of control over the Ukrainian-Russian border and the establishment of Ukraine's constitutional order in Donbas.