RIA Novosti: Ukraine’s Parliament Speaker Signs Law on Special Status of Donbas Regions

MOSCOW, October 14 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s parliament speaker Oleksandr Turchynov has inked a law on special status of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and sent it to President Petro Poroshenko for signing, the Verkhovna Rada said on its website on Tuesday.

The parliament approved the law introducing self-administration in parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on September 16.

The law stipulates that local elections are to take place in these regions on December 7 and also guarantees the right to use Russian or any other language in Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry earlier said Moscow views the special status legislation as a step in the right direction and in line with the agreements outlined in the Geneva joint statement by Russia, Ukraine, the United States and the EU on April 17, as well as in the Berlin declaration of July 2.

On September 5, the trilateral Contact Group consisting of representatives from Russia, Ukraine, the DPR and the LPR and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) met in Minsk to discuss the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. The meeting resulted in ceasefire deal between the Ukrainian government and independence supporters. In addition, Ukraine agreed to adopt a law on granting special status to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and ensuring early elections of the heads of the self-proclaimed republics.

The leaders of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR, LPR) have laid claim to the whole territory within the borders of the respective administrative entities in Ukraine and want full independence. Both self-proclaimed republics have set elections of regional leaders and legislative bodies for November 2.