Nikonorova urges Kiev to stop twisting meaning of UN-approved Minsk accords

Donetsk, Oct 24 – DAN. Ukraine has to stop twisting the meaning of the Minsk Agreements and start following the provisions of the document approved by the UN Security Council, Donetsk People’s Republic representative to the Contact Group talks, the Republic’s Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian representative to the Contact Group Leonid Kuchma said at a meeting with a delegation of the European External Action Service that the Donbass political settlement could only begin after complete ceasefire and Kiev’s taking control over the border between the People’s Republics and Russia.

“While stating that security issues have to be resolved ahead of political ones, Kiev is making an attempt to twist the meaning and avoid implementation of the Minsk Agreements as signed by the parties to the conflict in Ukraine and the mediators, and approved by the UN Security Council,” Nikonorova said in comments received by the Donetsk News Agency.

She said that the implementation of the conflict settlement agreements must be simultaneous on the political and security tracks. Furthermore, the Package of Measures states that border control transfer can only take place on the condition of Kiev’s implementing all the political articles, i.e. cementing the special status law in the Constitution and amnestying the conflict participants.

“We urge the Ukrainian authorities to stop misinterpreting the Minsk Agreements. Instead, it is necessary to start fulfilling one’s obligations while coordinating actions and initiatives with the Republics’ representatives in accordance with the procedure spelled out in the Package of Measures,” the DPR diplomat said.

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The Agreements dated 5 and 19 September 2014 and 12 February 2015 forged by the Contact Group in Minsk make groundwork for a peaceful settlement of the Donbass conflict. The Contact Group set forth a peace plan and agreed a ceasefire, then adopted the Memorandum on ceasefire implementation and later on the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

It envisioned immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Donbass, withdrawal of heavy weapons, establishment of security zones, discussion of the modalities for the resumption of payment of pensions and allowances to DPR and LPR citizens, and constitutional reform in Ukraine which should result in deep decentralisation. Special status for Donbass is a key point of the political part of the agreements. *jk

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