You're reading: Ukraine sees as vital being able to hold local elections in rebel-held Donbas areas – Kyiv official

Holding local elections in the breakaway parts of Donbas under Ukrainian laws is a matter of principle for Ukraine, a deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential administration has said.

“For us, conducting local elections in the separate districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions under Ukrainian laws and in accordance with OSCE/ODIHR [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights] principles is still [a matter] of principled importance,” Kostiantyn Yeliseyev said on Channel 5 on Oct. 1 evening.

Speaking of the possibility of dialogue with the leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, Yeliseyev stressed that direct dialogue is only possible with legally elected authorities.