Political subgroup meets in standard format first time in 5 months - Miroshnik

The meeting of the working group on political issues was held in an official format for the first time in five months, said LPR representative in the Contact Group political subgroup Rodion Miroshnik.

"After five months of blocking the meetings of the political subgroup, Ukraine participated perfectly well without its public advisers. The meeting of the political working group was held in an official format, in which only one representative from Ukraine took part - Andrey Kostin," he informed.

Miroshnik added that the results will be summed up tomorrow at the Contact Group talks.

The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014. Conflict settlement relies on the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, signed on February 12, 2015 in the Belarussian capital by the Contact Group members and coordinated by the Normandy Four heads of states (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine). The UN Security Council approved the document by Resolution No 2202 of February 17, 2015 and called upon the parties to ensure its implementation.

The document provides for comprehensive ceasefire, withdrawal of all heavy weapons from the contact line, starting a dialog on reconstruction of social and economic ties between Kiev and Donbass. It also envisages carrying out constitutional reform in Ukraine providing for decentralization and adopting permanent legislation on a special status of certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

To facilitate the work of the Contact Group, four working groups were set up under its aegis to deal with issues of security, politics, return of internally displaced people and refuges, as well as with social, humanitarian, economic and rehabilitation issues.*t