Press Statement of Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sajdik after meeting of Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk on 2 July 2019

MINSK, 2 July 2019 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG ‎and its working groups in Minsk on 2 July 2019:

“Last week we witnessed the process of disengagement of forces and hardware in the agreed zone at Stanytsia Luhanska.

Launched at noon of 26 June 2019, this process has become a welcome and important step.

It is a clear evidence that, if there is will, the agreements reached can be swiftly implemented. This inspires hope and optimism for our future work.

I would like to once again express my gratitude to the sides for their resolute steps. I was especially impressed by the personal presence of Leonid Kuchma at Stanytsia Luhanska in the course of the disengagement.

I also thank the staff of OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and personally Chief Monitor Yaşar Halit Çevik and Deputy Chief Monitor Mark Etherington for the support and follow-up on this process.

At the same time, I am very concerned about recent increase in the number of ceasefire violations. I was shocked by media reports about the death of two military medics near Vodiane yesterday and the injury of two medical volunteers near Marinka today.

Now about our work. The Security working group, of course, concentrated on issues concerning the disengagement of forces and hardware at Stanytsia Luhanska.

As to the so-called "harvest ceasefire", the sides once again confirmed that recommitment was crucial and agreed to continue discussion on the issue at the next meeting.

Among other points on the agenda, the Economic working group paid particular attention to water supply issues in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on both sides of the contact line, specifically, to the financial situation of the ‘Voda Donbasa’ company.

The Humanitarian working group continued discussions related to the exchange of detainees.

The Political working group took forward its exchanges on its well-known agenda, namely the implementation of the ‘Steinmeier formula’, amnesty and the modalities of local elections in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.”