STRASBOURG, June 23 (Sputnik) — Ukrainian constitutional reforms to decentralize power in the country were stipulated in the ceasefire agreement reached by Kiev authorities and eastern Ukrainian independence supporters in February.
"The new constitution can enter into force within this year," Thorbjorn Jagland said.
Jagland said that the Council of Europe has three people sitting in the Ukrainian constitutional commission, which will hold the first reading on a new constitution project during the summer.
"We have recommended the Ukrainian authorities that hey need a so-called asymmetric devolution of power which means different powers to different regions, decentralization according to how that country links like," Jagland stated.
According to the secretary general, the Council plans to to deploy 25 experts to all 25 Ukrainian regions in order to help the authorities accomplish the decentralization.
Earlier in June, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that he expects the country’s parliament to pass a bill on constitutional changes to decentralize power by July 17.
