Kyiv thwarting work of economic subgroup in Minsk, sabotaging disengagement in Stanytsia Luhanska - Gryzlov
MINSK. Nov 9 (Interfax) - Russia's representative in the Contact Group mediating the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Boris Gryzlov, said that Kyiv is effectively thwarting the work of the Contact Group's economic subgroup in Minsk and the peaceful efforts to separate the parties.
"Today the priority is to continue the work already started earlier by the Contact Group and which now needs to be brought to its logical conclusion. I mean, in particular, solving the problems involving separating the parties," Gryzlov told journalists after a Contact Group meeting on Wednesday.
The disengagement did take place on October 1 and 7 "respectively near the populated areas of Zolote and Petrivske," he said.
"However, it has been over 40 days since the disengagement agreement was signed, but what we see near Stanytsia Luhanska is in fact sabotage by Kyiv," the representative said.
"Using made-up pretexts, the Ukrainian side failed to send its representative to an economic subgroup meeting for the fourth time, ignoring the crucial issues of restoring the Donbas economy," Gryzlov said.
The need for progress on the disengagement was discussed by the leaders of the 'Normandy-format' nations in Berlin, he said. "I am convinced that it is disengagement in the previously agreed-upon locations that will open up the opportunity to resolve further issues relating to security. Ukraine has no right to forget about this," Gryzlov said.
As for the implementation of the political clauses of the Minsk agreements, this "first of all involves enforcing the law on a special status for the relevant territories," he said. "Everyone understands that to settle the situation this element is absolutely key. Moreover, its enforcement is possible on a compromise basis in accordance with the so-called 'Steinmeier formula' that we will discuss at the next Contact Group meeting," the politician said.