Ukraine blocks humanitarian subgroup’s work - Kobtseva

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LUGANSK, November 24 (Lugansk Media Centre) - Ukrainian representatives  blocked the work of the Contact Group humanitarian subgroup members at the video conference on Tuesday, Lugansk People’s Republic representative in the subgroup Olga Kobtseva said.

“The Tuesday session of the humanitarian subgroup was actually blocked due to Ukraine’s position at the negotiations,” Kobtseva told Vesti Plus Lugansk Radio.

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.