Press Statement of Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sajdik after Meeting of Trilateral Contact Group on 2 October 2018

MINSK, 2 October 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 2 October 2018:

“Last weekend was one of the saddest ones in recent times. As you know, on September 30, 2018, three children were killed and one was injured as a result of a mine blast near Horlivka. On the same day, another teenager was injured by shelling in Staromyhailivka.

Obviously, urgent measures for ‘humanitarian demining’ shall be taken. In this regard, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan and I issued a joint statement.

In the statement, we call on the sides - I am quoting now only partially - “to proceed with the rapid and full humanitarian demining of populated areas and entry-exit check points”. We also recall that “mine action is a commitment that has been undertaken by all the sides to the Minsk Agreements.”

This set of questions was today in the focus of the Trilateral Contact Group and its Security Working Group. The Working Group also discussed additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire.

The Economic Working Group continued the discussion of topical issues related to water deliveries in the "Karbonyt" and "Voda Donbasa" supply systems, including further steps to carry out repair works on the south Donbas water pipeline in Avdiivka’s industrial zone.

The Humanitarian Working Group further considered issues related to the exchange of detainees and the search for missing persons. One of the discussion topics was also the possibility to improve contact line crossing conditions on the side of certain areas of Luhansk region at the Stanytsia Luhanska check point.

The Political Working Group continued work on its regular agenda issues, such as, for instance, the implementation of the so-called ‘Steinmeier formula’.

Today was also the last time when President Leonid Kuchma participated in our meetings as head of the Ukrainian delegation to the TCG. To work with him has been a great honour and immense pleasure for all of us.

On behalf of all the participants of the TCG and on my own behalf, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to President Kuchma for his invaluable contribution to our work.

I personally learned a lot from this wise politician devoted to his country, and, first of all, a trustworthy person. I am sincerely grateful for that”.