BRUSSELS, July 1 (KUNA) -- The EU prolonged Friday the economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy until 31 January, 2017. According to an EU statement, these measures were introduced on 31 July, 2014 initially for one year in response to " Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine. They were reinforced in September 2014. They target the financial, energy and defence sectors, and the area of dual-use goods." Since the Minsk agreements were not fully implemented by 31 December 2015, the EU extended the sanctions until 31 July, 2016. Having assessed the implementation of the Minsk agreements, the EU decided to renew the sanctions for a further six months, until 31 January, 2017, it added.
Representatives of Ukraine and Russia signed the Minsk Protocol, to halt the war in the Donbass region of Ukraine on 5 September, 2014.
It was signed after talks in Minsk, Belarus, under the auspices of the organsiation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
A second Minsk ceasefire was agreed after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in February 2015. (end) nk.ajs