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Ukraine pins hopes on "Normandy" talks to cement ceasefire

Xinhua, October 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Kiev hopes that an upcoming meeting of leaders of Normandy quartet will help cement a truce in Donetsk and Lugansk regions, known locally as Donbas, the Ukrainian president's office said Thursday.

"It is very important for us to ensure a complete and stable ceasefire in Donbas," Konstantin Eliseev, deputy head of the Presidential Administration, told reporters.

Friday's talks in Paris involving Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine will focus on measures to establish a lasting peace in the restive areas, such as withdrawal of artillery of less than 100 millimeter caliber from the contact line and socio-economic situation in the region, he said.

The discussions on the format of local elections in certain areas in Donetsk and Lugansk regions were also on the agenda, Eliseev added.

Under the Minsk peace deal, local elections in the areas controlled by pro-independence militants were due to be held on Oct. 25 alongside the vote in other Ukrainian regions. However, Kiev has cancelled the elections in Donbas, citing security concerns.

Rebels in Donetsk and Lugansk decided to hold their own local elections on Nov. 1 and Oct. 18 respectively in a move, which Kiev sees as a "threat" to a peace process in the area.

On Sept. 1, a fragile ceasefire was established in eastern Ukraine, which has led to a notable decrease in hostilities along the entire frontline.

The truce laid the ground for small weaponry withdrawal and raised the hope for a peaceful settlement of the conflict that has been raging since April 2014, claiming almost 8,000 lives. Endit