(VOVworld) – Parties involved in Ukraine’s crisis have shown a positive response to the Ukrainian Parliament passing a bill to grant special self-rule status in the next 3 years to Donetsk and Lugansk.

Ukraine's Parliament has passed a bill to grant self-rule status to Donetsk and Lugansk. (Photo: Interfax)

Valentina Matvienko, speaker of the Russian Federal Council, praised the bill’s approval, saying that it would contribute to the Ukrainian peace process. She urged listening to the people in Donetsk and Lugansk and building mutual trust between the conflicting parties. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said that Ukraine’s approval of the bill was in line with the Minsk peace talks.
On Tuesday UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for open talks between Russia and Ukraine to settle conflicts in eastern Ukraine through a long-term ceasefire. He said he had received support from the countries’ leaders in settling the conflict through peaceful means and abiding by the ceasefire.