Press statement by the Trilateral Contact Group

The Trilateral Contact Group of senior representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the OSCE met in Kiev on July 15, 2014.

Following the understanding reached during recent telephone conversations by theChairman-in-Office of the OSCE, the Swiss President Didier Burkhalter, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin, and based on the results of a conference call between the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Ukraine and the Head of Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Trilateral Contact Group has made all necessary efforts for a resumption of consultations with representatives of the separatists in the east of Ukraine.

Unfortunately, a video conference with the separatists, scheduled for today with the aim of agreeing on modalities for a next round of consultations, and agreed upon at the highest international level, did not materialise. The Contact Group is seriously concerned about the fact that since June 27, no such consultations have taken place. In the opinion of the Contact Group, this indicates a lack of willingness on the side of the separatists to engage in substantive talks on a mutually agreed cease-fire.

The Contact Group reconfirms its support to President Poroshenko’s Peace Plan and to the commitments stated in the Joint Declaration in Berlin on 2 July 2014.

The Contact Group appeals to the separatists to return to consultations without further delay. The Group stresses that a sustained cease-fire will require the following principles to be observed:

• An OSCE supported monitoring and verification mechanism coming into effect simultaneously with the entry into force of the cease-fire;
• the implementation of an effective border monitoring;
• the release of all hostages;
• the start of inclusive dialogue.