The self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine is ready to exchange prisoners with Kiev by the end of the year, Olga Kobtseva, LPR representative in the Trilateral Contact Group's humanitarian subgroup, said on Wednesday
LUHANSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th December, 2019) The self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine is ready to exchange prisoners with Kiev by the end of the year, Olga Kobtseva, LPR representative in the Trilateral Contact Group's humanitarian subgroup, said on Wednesday.
Last week, the leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine met in Paris in the Normandy format after a three-year hiatus to discuss the Donbas peace process. A joint communique issued after the meeting said that the next steps would include an "all for all" exchange of conflict-related detainees the implementation of the ceasefire by the year-end, and the coordination of new areas for troop disengagement.
"On the part of the LPR, we confirm our full readiness to organize, in accordance with the decisions of the Normandy Four summit, the release and exchange of detainees by the end of 2019," Kobtseva said in a statement obtained by Sputnik.
The exchange process is expected to be discussed by members of the contact group and the subgroup during Wednesday's Minsk talks, the LPR's representative in the political subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, Rodion Miroshnik, said.
"The contact group's meeting in Minsk is going to to have a full agenda! The exchange of detainees is also on the agenda. After the Normandy Four summit, the delegation from Kiev will have to show their desire for peace and humanism," Miroshnik wrote on his Telegram channel.
The last exchange of prisoners between Kiev and Donbas took place at the end of December 2017.
The conflict in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk began in 2014. The Normandy format of talks was established in June of that year to promote peace.
