Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine urges sides to make efforts to keep sustainable, comprehensive ceasefire in Donbas
Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Heidi Grau, after regular TCG meetings and its Working Groups, urged the sides to continue to make all necessary efforts to maintain a sustainable and comprehensive ceasefire.
"I am pleased to note that the 'Measures to strengthen the ceasefire' which that took effect on July 27, 2020, continue overall to be effective. I encourage the sides to keep making all necessary efforts to keep a sustainable and comprehensive ceasefire, which is an indispensable prerequisite for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine," Grau said on Wednesday, according to the OSCE press release.
She said that in addition to discussing the ceasefire commitments, the Security Working Group reached a common understanding upon the draft "Framework Decision on Mine Action" as well as the new areas for demining and disengagement of forces and hardware, as requested by the Normandy Four leaders at their meeting in Paris in December last year.
"However, due to the ongoing discussion on the conformity of Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine № 795-IX on the appointment of regular local elections in 2020 with the Minsk Agreements, the TCG did not come today to final decisions. This discussion also hindered progress in other Working Groups," the ambassador said.
Grau also said that the Humanitarian Working Group discussed the mutual release and exchange of conflict-related detainees. In addition to this topic, participants looked into the progress of preparations for the simultaneous opening of additional entry-exit crossing points in Zolote and Schastia in Luhansk region.
"The Economic Working Group focused on current issues of water supplies in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, as well as environmental matters. Discussions in the Political Working Group, like at the previous meeting two weeks ago, was mainly devoted to the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine № 795-IX, what again did not allow to address the issues on the agenda, aimed at the implementation of the Minsk Agreements," Grau said.
