Press Statement of the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sajdik after meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group on 4 October 2017

MINSK, 5 October 2017 – 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 4 October 2017:

"I would like to start on a positive note. In the period since our last meeting, the number of ceasefire violations has remained on a significantly lower level than before the beginning of the ceasefire at the beginning of the school year.

Thanks to the latter, as well as to the ‘harvest ceasefire’ announced in the TCG in early summer, since June, the number of civilian casualties has steadily and significantly decreased.

According to the UN, in September, the number of civilian casualties per month was the lowest on record for the conflict period, namely two dead and 16 wounded.

However, unfortunately, we cannot say that the overall situation in the conflict zone is stable. Therefore, the TCG will continue to make every effort to further ensure the sustainable and permanent cessation of fire.

To achieve this goal, joint efforts are of major importance, and the activities of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine are indispensable for the peace process. In this regard, it is crucial to avoid any public controversy that would question the reliability and constructiveness of the Mission's work.

Now, let me inform you of the results of today’s meeting.

The Economic Working Group discussed the issue of water supply in the systems of "Karbonyt" and "Voda Donbassa", including further simplification of the payment procedure. The participants also considered property issues of individuals and legal entities as well as the possibility of paying off arrears to former employees of the Ukrainian Railways in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Environmental issues were also considered. The proposal supported by Austria’s OSCE Chairmanship to arrange a round table of experts on environmental issues was re-examined.

The Humanitarian Working Group continued the discussion on the exchange of detainees. The Coordinator, Ambassador Toni Frisch, informed about his intention to travel to the Luhansk region and visit detention centres on both sides of the contact line in late October. The sides advanced on the issue of repairing access to the bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska. Yet, in this respect, a constructive and quick solution is still required.

In the Working Group on Political Issues, during the discussion of issues related to the so-called ’Steinmeier formula’, the sides exchanged views on the current procedure for the extension of the Law on the Special Order in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Today there were especially many questions on the agenda of the Security Working Group. The participants deliberated on the commitment to the cessation of fire, the disengagement of forces and hardware, the withdrawal of heavy weapons as well as the protection of civil infrastructure facilities and the creation of the so-called security zones around them. The possibility of re-opening the entry-exit checkpoint in Zolote was also discussed. There are still many unresolved issues in this regard. I would like to note the importance of this initiative for the population, as the cold season is approaching."