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EU welcomes Ukraine rebel poll delay as 'fundamental step'

06 October 2015, 15:22 CET
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(BRUSSELS) - The EU welcomed Tuesday a decision by pro-Russian Ukraine rebels to delay planned elections until 2016 as a "fundamental step" towards full implementation of the Minsk peace accords.

"Due implementation (of the decision) will represent a fundamental step towards full implementation of the Minsk agreements," the European Union's foreign affairs arm said in a statement.

The European Union, which has solidly backed Kiev, said the rebel decision would allow proper preparations to be made for future local elections in the rebel-controlled areas.

"Together with the recently reached agreement on the withdrawal of smaller weapons this announcement offers renewed hope for a sustainable political settlement of the conflict, based on full respect of international law and Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity," it said.

The rebels, who control the two self-proclaimed "people's republics" of Donetsk and Lugansk, had planned their own elections free from Kiev's oversight on October 18 and November 1, respectively.

To go ahead however on that basis would violate the Minsk peace accords, brokered first in 2014 by France and Germany with Ukraine and Russia.

Kiev and the rebels routinely breached the deal until the four parties agreed last month to make a fresh effort, beginning with the withdrawal of smaller weapons from the front lines.

The four met again at the weekend in Paris.

Ukrainian officials said Monday that French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had put strong pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin -- who denies any involvement in the conflict -- to pressure the rebels to delay the vote.


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