Today, the political group started discussing the necessary amendments to the law on the special status of Donbass, the DPR Foreign Affairs Ministry’s press service reports.

“At today’s meeting, representatives of both parties to the conflict exchanged views on amending the existing law on the special status of Donbass, in particular, the negotiators discussed the implementation of Steinmeier’s formula into this law,” DPR plenipotentiary Natalya Nikonorova.

She stressed that the law on the special status of Donbass was adopted in 2014, but in fact, it has never been in force. At the same time, the Ukrainian authorities prolonged the validity of the first formal article of the law in 2017 and 2018. Articles 2 to 9 of the law generally correspond to the notes to the Package of Measures, but the text of the regulatory legal act needs to be refined in terms of amending it by taking into account the implementation of Steinmeier’s formula and bringing it into line with the current Ukrainian legislation.

“However, it is too early to talk about any results. We believe that these activities can implemented more effectively in the format of written proposals in order to outline all the existing amendment proposals in the most detailed and clear manner possible. At the same time, it should be clearly understood that the key to the constitutionality of this law is the enshrinement of its provisions in the constitution, agreed upon by the parties,” the DPR plenipotentiary stressed.

She expressed the hope that the draft document would be considered and elaborated already at the next meeting in Minsk, which would include the amendments to the law on the special status of Donbass, proposed by the parties, for their early aligning.