Press Statement of Special Representative Grau after the regular Meeting of Trilateral Contact Group on 2 September 2020

KYIV, 2 September 2020 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Heidi Grau, made the following statement to the press after the regular meetings of the TCG ‎and its Working Groups held through video conferencing:

“I am pleased to note that the "Measures to strengthen the ceasefire" that took effect on July 27, 2020, continue overall to be effective. I encourage the sides to keep making all necessary efforts to keep a sustainable and comprehensive ceasefire, which is an indispensable prerequisite for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

In addition to discussing the ceasefire commitments, the Security Working Group reached a common understanding upon the draft "Framework Decision on Mine Action" as well as the new areas for demining and disengagement of forces and hardware, as requested by the Normandy Four leaders at their meeting in Paris in December last year.

However, due to the ongoing discussion on the conformity of Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine № 795-IX "On the appointment of regular local elections in 2020" with the Minsk Agreements, the TCG did not come today to final decisions. This discussion also hindered progress in other Working Groups.

The Humanitarian Working Group discussed the mutual release and exchange of conflict-related detainees. In addition to this topic, participants looked into the progress of preparations for the simultaneous opening of additional entry-exit crossing points in Zolote and Shchastya in the Luhansk region.

The Economic Working Group focused on current issues of water supplies in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, as well as environmental matters.

Discussions in the Political Working Group, like at the previous meeting two weeks ago, was mainly devoted to the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine № 795-IX, what again did not allow to address the issues on the agenda, aimed at the implementation of the Minsk Agreements”.