OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier welcomes declaration of the Trilateral Contact Group on renewed ceasefire commitment in Ukraine

BERLIN, 21 December 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier today welcomed the declaration of the Trilateral Contact Group in which the sides recommitted to a comprehensive, sustainable and durable ceasefire starting from 24 December 2016 and reconfirmed their will to implement the Minsk agreements and to continue the Minsk process effectively in the year 2017.

“I welcome the unanimous recommitment to a full observance of the ceasefire reached at today’s meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk. Following the recent escalation of fighting in the area of Debaltseve and with the holiday period approaching, it is more than timely that all sides return to a comprehensive ceasefire along the entire line of contact.

Its full implementation would be an important step to stabilize the security situation and pave the way towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict. We need this above all for the sake of the civilian population in the areas affected by the conflict.

Further progress with the disengagement of forces and hardware, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and unhindered access of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission throughout the entire conflict area should follow as a matter of urgency.

Moreover, I call on all sides to release a significant number of persons detained in relation with the conflict before the end of the year, starting with the most vulnerable.”