You're reading: Minsk protocol published in Ukraine’s official newspaper

The Minsk protocol signed on Sept. 5 as a result of a meeting of the trilateral contact group on joint steps aimed at the implementation of the peace plan by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and initiatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been made public.

The text of the protocol was published in the parliamentary newspaper Voice of Ukraine on Sept. 10.

The document consists of 12 provisions:

The parties undertake:

1. To ensure there is an immediate bilateral ceasefire.

2. To ensure the monitoring and verification of the regime of ceasefire by the OSCE.

3. To conduct the decentralization of power, including through the adoption of the law of Ukraine on the temporary regulations for local government in individual districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (the law on the special status).

4. To ensure permanent monitoring of the Ukrainian-Russian state border and its verification by the OSCE with the formation of a security zone in the border areas of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

5. To release immediately all hostages and illegally held people.

6. To adopt a law prohibiting the prosecution and punishment of persons in connection with the events that have taken place in some districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts of Ukraine.

7. To continue an inclusive national dialogue.

8. To take steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Donbas.

9. To ensure the conduct of the early local elections in compliance with the law of Ukraine on the temporary regulations for local government in individual districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (the law on the special status).

10. To withdraw the illegal armed groups, military equipment, as well as militants and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine.

11. To adopt a program of economic revival for Donbas and restoration of living conditions and economic activities there.

12. To provide guarantees of personal security for the participants of the consultations.

The document was signed by the members of the trilateral contact group: OSCE chairperson-in-office for resolving the situation in Ukraine Heidi Tagliavini, Ukraine’s second president Leonid Kuchma, and Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov.