Brussels, 11/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 10 February, the S&D Group at the European Parliament called on Ukraine and Russia to implement the Minsk agreement, which will be a year old on 12 February.
“Both Russia and Ukraine must stick to their commitments”, said Knut Fleckenstein, S&D Group Vice-Chair, in a press release. Fleckenstein, who is responsible for foreign policy, neighbourhood policy and enlargement, added that European expectations had increased with regard to implementation of the agreement by both sides. “Tactical manoeuvring is not what is needed now. The implementation of the Minsk agreement is not about who proceeds in a more clever way - Russia or Ukraine. Abidance by this agreement is a diplomatic and humanitarian necessity”, he added.
Fleckenstein regretted that the restoration of Ukrainian control over its border with Russia has still not happened - nor the withdrawal of all foreign armed groups, weapons and mercenaries from Ukrainian territory. He also stated that the constitutional reform has not yet been adopted in second reading, following its adoption in first reading in August. “The upcoming local elections in Donbas must be conducted in compliance with the Ukrainian legislation on OSCE standards”, he added.
Fleckenstein said that at the Normandy format meeting, which is to be held on the sidelines of the Munich conference on 13 February, he would like the French and German foreign ministers to make it clear to their Ukrainian and Russian counterparts that “the EU's support for the respective concerns depends on implementation of what has already been agreed by all sides in Minsk in September 2014 and in February 2015”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)