MINSK, 14 March 2018 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG ‎and its Working Groups in Minsk on 14 March 2018:

“As it is known, on 2 March 2018, the Trilateral Contact Group, with the participation of the representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (CADR and CALR), re-affirmed full commitment to a comprehensive, sustainable and unlimited cease-fire, starting from 5 March 2018.

Following this statement and as facilitated by the sides’ efforts, recently it has become possible to significantly reduce the average number of ceasefire violations to one of the lowest levels over the past two years.

This year, it has also been possible to achieve a significant reduction in the number of civilian casualties. Compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, the respective number has declined three times, according to the preliminary data provided by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. All this clearly demonstrates that with the political will numerous achievements can be accomplished.

Further adherence to the cessation of fire and the general situation in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine were today the main discussion topics of the Working Group on Security.

In particular, the participants stressed that the successful implementation of ceasefire requires strict adherence to the previously agreed principles, such as:

• issuance of the respective ceasefire orders as well as the effective use of disciplinary measures for ceasefire violations;
• avoiding forward movements and reconnaissance missions;
• withdrawal of heavy weapons, especially from populated areas;
• securing civil infrastructure, in particular by prevention of targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and public premises.

One of the major issues under discussion at the Economic Working Group meeting was the operation of the mobile network Vodafone-Ukraine. With the participation of the representative of Vodafone-Ukraine, the Working Group continued to discuss practical steps necessary to re-establish and ensure mobile communication in CADR and CALR.

The participants of the Working Group discussed the issues of water deliveries in the supply systems “Karbonyt” and “Voda Donbassa”, repayment of arrears to former employees of the Ukrainian Railways in CADR and CALR as well as the return of freight cars currently located in the non-government controlled areas of Ukraine.

The Working Group on Humanitarian Issues continued the discussion of issues related to the exchange of detainees.

With the participation of the ICRC representative in Ukraine, the Group also discussed issues related to the operation of entry-exit checkpoints at the contact line, in particular in Stanytsia Luhanska.

The participants of the Political Working Group exchanged views on the future implementation of the so-called ‘Steinmeier formula’, amnesty, local elections and the special status of CADR and CALR as stipulated by the Minsk Agreements. According to the Coordinator of the Working Group, Ambassador Pierre Morel, close co-operation between the TCG and its Working Groups with the ‘Normandy Four’ plays, in particular, a very important role”.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/chairmanship/375352

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