MINSK, 14 February 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 February 2018:

“The day before yesterday marked the third anniversary of the endorsement of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

From my point of view, the three years of its implementation have demonstrated that, despite certain difficulties, the Minsk process is operational and brings results. This was proven even today, in particular when the issues of the Security Working Group were discussed.

The continued compliance with the cessation of fire as well as the security of the civilian population and critical infrastructure were the main purpose of our deliberations today. As proposed by the Working Group on Security, the TCG reiterated its commitment to earlier decisions on a comprehensive, sustainable and unlimited ceasefire, as well as decisions on the withdrawal of forces and hardware, removal of heavy weapons, mine action and the prohibition of live-fire exercises near the line of contact. Let me remind you that it was during the last two and a half years that we were able to work out the solutions on these matters here in Minsk.

Before moving on to the results of the Economic Working Group, I would like to recall one more anniversary that is approaching in early March. This is the introduction of so-called “external management” of the enterprises under Ukrainian jurisdiction in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions (CADR and CALR) and the trade ban across the contact line. As it turned out, these decisions caused considerable economic damage to all of Ukraine, and in particular to the population of the Donbas. I also raised this issue last week in Vienna when speaking to the OSCE Permanent Council.

I call on the sides to the conflict to demonstrate realism and the corresponding political will and to abolish these decisions, which have an adverse impact on the standard of living of the population.

And now about the Economic Working Group. It continued the discussion of the possibilities to resume the operation of Vodafone-Ukraine in CADR.

In addition, the Group considered water supply issues in the systems “Karbonyt” and “Voda Donbassa”, repayment of arrears to former employees of the Ukrainian Railways in CADR and CALR, as well as environmental issues related to the flooding of coalmines in the conflict zone.

The Working Group on Humanitarian Issues discussed further steps necessary to prepare the next exchange of detainees.

Today the participants of the Political Working Group continued their exchange of views on the new law ‘On the peculiarities of the state policy on securing the state sovereignty of Ukraine over the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions’.”