Press Statement by the Trilateral Contact Group

KYIV, 4 October 2014 - The Trilateral Contact Group of senior representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office held a meeting in Kyiv on 2 October 2014, to discuss further steps towards the implementation of the Peace Plan of the President of Ukraine.

Having noted a certain progress with regard to the de-escalation of the situation in the region of Donbas, the participants of the meeting express their concern about continuing violations of the cease-fire regime and agreements reached as a result of consultations, such as the Minsk Protocol of 5 September and the Minsk Memorandum of 19 September 2014.

In this connection, the Trilateral Contact Group welcomed the start of work in Debaltsevo of the Joint Center on Control and Coordination of issues related to the ceasefire regime and the stabilization of the situation, with the participation of representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the OSCE. The members of the Trilateral Contact Group express their strong hope that the Joint Center will promote a further de-escalation of the situation in the region of Donbas and ensure the effective control and verification by the OSCE of the existing agreements on compliance with the cease-fire regime, the withdrawal of illegal armed formations and their equipment from the territory of Ukraine, as well as the establishment of an effective control over the Ukrainian-Russian border.