KYIV. Dec 29 (Interfax) - The process of peaceful settlement in eastern Ukraine will begin after local elections there, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.
"Our political position is the organization of elections. It's Item 9 of the Minsk protocol. It clearly envisages an immediate organization of full-fledged local elections according to Ukrainian legislation under the observation of international monitors. And then those elected by people, not those who have seized power with weapons in their hands and are now tormenting Ukrainians, will be our partner, with whom we will have negotiations on local self-government issues enshrined in the law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada," he told a press conference in Kyiv on Monday.
The president said the Minsk agreements are "slowly" working.
"The first stage, ceasefire, is slowly working. And we now just need to strengthen it," Poroshenko said.
He also said the humanitarian stage is now beginning to work.
"We can now say that the local elections will finally be followed by a real political settlement process," Poroshenko said.