Press Statement of Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sajdik after Meeting of Trilateral Contact Group on 5 September 2018

MINSK, 5 September 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 5 September 2018:

“As you know, today is the fourth anniversary of the Minsk Protocol. All the TCG members stressed once more their full commitment to the Minsk agreements.

As I mentioned last time, this summer has turned out to be the most peaceful since the beginning of the conflict.

Following the sides’ recommitment to ceasefire in connection with the beginning of the harvesting season and of the school year, it was possible to significantly reduce the level of ceasefire violations.

Over the whole summer, a decrease in civilian casualties was registered. According to preliminary UN data, their number in August reached, one more time, one of the lowest levels in the entire period of the conflict, with two fatalities and six injured. However, as I always underline, even one victim is one too many.

In this context, the Working Group on Security Issues discussed possible additional measures to ensure full implementation of the ceasefire, including the issue of the disengagement of forces and hardware.

The Humanitarian Working Group focused on the preparations to the fieldtrip of Ambassador Toni Frisch, its Coordinator. This trip will take place on 6-12 September. Ambassador Frisch will travel to the conflict-affected areas on both sides of the contact line to meet detainees and observe their detention conditions.

The Economic Working Group continued its discussion of further steps to restore and improve the quality of the Vodafone Ukraine mobile communication network in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (CADR and CALR respectively), as well as current issues of water deliveries in the "Karbonyt" and "Voda Donbasa" supply systems.

Pensions and social transfers to conflict zone residents was also a topic of discussions in the Working Group.

The Working Group on Political Issues further considered questions related to the implementation of the so-called ‘Steinmeier formula’, amnesty and modalities of local elections in CADR and CALR as foreseen by the Minsk agreements”.