Donetsk, Luhansk republics ready for equitable dialogue with Kyiv - joint statement
MOSCOW. Nov 3 (Interfax) - The self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics have announced that they are ready to continue the dialogue with Kyiv, but exclusively on an equitable basis.
"Kyiv will have to take note of the opinion of the people of Donbas, whether it likes it or not. No political or legal tricks will work here. No acts which Ukraine will adopt unilaterally, without the consent of the newly elected authorities of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, will be enforced in our territory," says a joint statement, signed by deputy head of the government of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Purgin and chairman of the Supreme Council of the self-declared Luhansk People's Republic Karyakin.
"The Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics are open for further dialogue, but this dialogue must proceed on an equitable basis," the statement says.
The statement also says that the elections in the people's republics were held in compliance with the Minsk accords "within the timeframe set and in accordance with the procedure agreed upon by representatives of the republics, Russia and Ukraine."
But Ukraine violated the agreements, misrepresenting the agreed resolution on the law on the special status of Donbas, it says.
"Since this law knowingly omitted the territories to which this status applies, the law has never taken effect. In fact it is legally null and void. It will have to be edited, or annulled as a senseless act, whose sole purpose is to mislead the world public," the statement says.
On September 1 representatives of the two republics informed the Kyiv leadership in Minsk about their negotiating positions, with the terms of the settlement listed, it says.
"First, we demanded that Ukraine recognize the special status of the territories controlled by the people's republics, and create conditions - first of all end the military operation - for free elections of the republic's heads and parliaments on the basis of the principles of independent democratic self-government," the statement says.
"We pledged - if Ukraine fulfils our demands - to apply maximum effort, as required by Point 8 of the negotiating positions, to maintain peace and to save the single economic, cultural and political space in Ukraine and the entire space of Russian-Ukrainian civilization," it says.
"We reaffirm our commitments and are saying again to the Kyiv leadership that they accepted our terms and must implement them in full," the statement says.
The statement says that Kyiv is violating the ceasefire and that the National Guard continues shelling cities and villages, while the Ukrainian military is accumulating heavy weaponry and artillery systems near residential buildings and industrial enterprises.
Ukraine stopped paying pensions and wages to citizens, the statement says.
"We are urging Kyiv to follow the peace plan and to stop putting military and political pressure on Donbas," it says.
The republics guarantee that, "if Kyiv demonstrates common sense the elected leaders will be ready to continue the dialogue."
"We will follow the spirit of the Minsk accords, and points 7 and 8 of the negotiating positions, and be ready to restore the entire system of ties with the Ukrainian regions and to conclude agreements with the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers, enterprises and organizations," the statement says.
"We stand ready to supply coal to Ukrainian regions needed during the heating season. We are in need of cooperation in supplies of electricity and agricultural produce, and in transport, communications, export-oriented production. Our economy will remain within the hryvnia zone if Kyiv stops the financial siege," the statement says.
Kyiv should recognize the special status of Donbas in deed, not in word.
"Recognize the special status of Donbas in deed, by issuing a real, not fictitious legal act. The elections held will accelerate the peace process and generate fully-fledged political decisions on ways to lift the accumulated disagreements," the two republics said.
