16:14 01.04.2021

Grau: Parties in TCG stress importance of observing ceasefire in Donbas

3 min read
Grau: Parties in TCG stress importance of observing ceasefire in Donbas

Ambassador Heidi Grau, Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine and the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), said that during the talks of the contact group at the level of heads of delegations, the parties stressed the importance of fully observing the "Measures to strengthen the ceasefire" agreed by the TCG on July 22, 2020.

The increase in the number of violations of the ceasefire regime in recent years, the effectiveness of measures to strengthen it, as well as the general security situation in the conflict zone have become the subject of extensive discussions in the working group on security and the TCG. At the same time, the parties stressed the importance of fully observing the

"Measures to strengthen the ceasefire regime", agreed by the TCG on July 22, 2020. This is especially important for eliminating the existing violations of the ceasefire regime, the press release of the OSCE special envoy to the TCG Grau says.

At the same time, the OSCE says, according to the assessments of the Special Monitoring Mission, the average number of violations of the ceasefire continues to remain well below the level recorded before the entry into force of measures to strengthen it in July 2020.

Reportedly, the focus of the humanitarian working group was the simultaneous opening of new checkpoints near the settlements of Zolote and Shchastia in Luhansk region, which has long been awaited by the civilian population on both sides of the contact line.

During the discussion, issues of mutual release and exchange of persons held in connection with the conflict were also discussed. The members of the political working group discussed certain aspects of the Action Plan in full compliance with the Minsk Agreements, which is being developed on behalf of the TCG.

The participants of the economic working group considered the issues of pensions and social payments to citizens living in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO) of Ukraine.

In addition, topical issues of water supply across the contact line in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, environmental issues and mobile communications in ORDLO were discussed.

As reported, during the regular talks of the TCG on March 31, representatives of the Russian delegation did not support the proposal of the representatives of the Ukrainian delegation and the OSCE on the commitment and the need to observe the full and comprehensive preservation of the ceasefire in Donbas from midnight on April 1.

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