MOSCOW, August 30 (RIA Novosti) – The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) will raise an issue of all-for-all exchange of prisoners of war during consultations of a contact group on Ukraine in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, DPR Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Purgin said in an interview with RIA Novosti Saturday.
“We have been trying to convince the Ukrainian side to agree with all for all exchanges, but thus far without success. And, as I understand it, the European side stands with us in this regard, as well as Russia,” Purgin said, asked if the issue would be raised at the Minsk talks.
“We know for sure that more than 300 people [militia] are being held captive, over 1,000 people are missing,” Purgin added.
Purgin added that he will represent the Donetsk People’s Republic at the upcoming contact group talks on Ukraine.
"The meeting will be held in Minsk on Monday, I will represent the DPR," Purgin said.
Earlier, a source at the Belarusian Foreign Ministry also told RIA Novosti that the contact group on settlement of the Ukrainian crisis will meet in Minsk on September 1. Representatives of Kiev authorities, Ukraine southeastern regions, the OSCE and Russia will take part in the talks.
