Ukrainian parliament passes law on Donbas re-integration

KIEV, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday passed a law on the return of the eastern region of Donbas under Kiev's sovereignty.

According to a statement on the parliament's website, the legislation was supported by 280 votes in favor, surpassing the minimum of 226 required.

The law is designed to safeguard the rights of people living in the Donbas region, which has slipped out of Ukrainian government control, according to the statement.

The legislation defines the non-government-controlled areas in Donbas as "temporarily occupied territories".

Among other things, the law envisages the resumption of trade between the government-controlled and the non-government-controlled areas.

In addition, the legislation establishes a legal basis for people living in the insurgent-controlled territories to dispose of their property under Ukrainian law.

While commenting on the legislation, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said it is a step toward a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Donbas.

"We will continue to pave the way for the re-integration of the occupied Ukrainian territories through the political and diplomatic means. This is a key signal of the law," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko said that the adoption of the legislation may lead to an escalation of the conflict.

"This law completely violates the Minsk agreements," Zakharchenko was quoted as saying by the insurgent-run Donetsk News Agency.

The conflict in Ukraine's eastern Lugansk and Donetsk regions, together known as Donbas, started in April 2014 after the government forces launched offensives to regain control over the cities and towns seized by the armed groups, which declared independence from Kiev.

Ukraine has long accused Russia of aiding pro-independence insurgents in eastern Ukraine and sending troops to combat areas in Donbas. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed Kiev's claims, saying that Ukraine has offered no evidence of Russia's alleged involvement in the conflict.

The Minsk agreements, reached in September 2014 and February 2015, envisage a ceasefire, a withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the contact line, a prisoner exchange and local elections in Donbas, among other measures. Enditem