Press Statement of Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sajdik after Meeting of Trilateral Contact Group on 28 February 2018

MINSK, 28 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 28 February 2018:

“When looking for peaceful solutions to the conflict in the east of Ukraine, one of the major objectives of the TCG and its Working Groups is to ensure security and decent living conditions for the civilian population.

Today’s meeting of the Economic Working Group focused on the issue of the operation of the Vodafone mobile network in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (CADR and CALR). At the invitation of the TCG, a representative of Vodafone-Ukraine took part in the meeting of the Working Group. He assured that the company was ready to contribute to solutions aimed to provide mobile communication in CADR and CALR.

To this end, the sides agreed on cooperation mediated by the TCG and the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, in particular on cable repairs in the Donetsk region.

Welcoming the decisions taken by the Working Group, I call on the sides to make every effort to swiftly restore the Vodafone network and further ensure its smooth operation, which is indispensable for the population in CADR and CALR.

Moreover, the participants of the Economic Working Group discussed the issues of payment for water deliveries in the "Karbonyt" and "Voda Donbassa" supply systems, as well as repayment of arrears to former employees of the Ukrainian Railways in CADR and CALR. Another topic was the return of freight cars in foreign property currently retained in CADR and CALR.

The Security Working Group discussed the general situation in the conflict zone as well as issues of compliance with ceasefire. In particular, the participants stressed the importance of the withdrawal of heavy weapons, disengagement of forces and hardware as well as ensuring the safety of civilian infrastructure, including schools, kindergartens and hospitals.

The sides expressed their intention to conduct the disengagement of forces and hardware in the area of ​​Stanytsia Luhanska on 5 March 2017 on the condition of full compliance with the ceasefire.

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

The Political Working Group, among other issues, further discussed the Law of Ukraine “On the peculiarities of the state policy on securing the state sovereignty of Ukraine over the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions”.

I would also like to draw your attention to recent reports on the shelling of medical vehicles and the death of medical personnel on duty.

I urge the sides to strictly observe the international principles pertaining to the inviolability of medical staff.”