Press Statement of Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sajdik after Meeting of Trilateral Contact Group on 18 January 2018

MINSK, 19 January 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 18 January 2018:

“This is the first time we meet in 2018. Taking this opportunity, I would like once again to wish you a happy New Year and good luck in your difficult but very important work. I would also like to wish us all successful and fruitful work in the search for peaceful solutions to the conflict in the east of Ukraine and the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

Due to the holidays, almost a month has passed since our last meeting. However, TCG continued its work in this period as well.

As you know, on 27 December, the exchange of the detainees took place. This exchange, finally carried out after a 15-month break, clearly showed that with political will solutions to difficult problems can be found.

Besides, on 10 January, a videoconference of the Working Group on Security took place. Issues of compliance with the ceasefire declared on the Christmas and New Year holidays were discussed.

Indisputably, also in this year, security in the conflict zone and civilians’ wellbeing are the priorities of the TCG and its Working Groups.

Now about the results of today's discussions.

The Working Group on Humanitarian Issues discussed the lessons learned from the exchange on 27 December. I hope that this great achievement will positively affect the entire negotiation process. Today the Working Group discussed possible next steps. I am deeply convinced that we must look ahead and solve the remaining problems in this regard. In addition, it is necessary to give detailed consideration to the complex issue of missing persons.

The Working Group on Security noted a significant reduction in the number of ceasefire violations during the recent holidays. In this regard, Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan noted the importance of the removal of heavy weapons and withdrawal of forces and hardware.

In addition, one of the important topics was the interruption of service of the mobile operator "Vodafone-Ukraine" in the Donbas. The repair works has been underway in certain areas of Luhansk region for two days now under the circumstances of the local ceasefire. The sides hope that the restoration of the Donetsk branch of the cable will soon be completed, too.

I will also mention some sad news. Today in the early morning, a member of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) died in Kramatorsk in a car accident. Personally and on behalf of the TCG, I express my deep condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased, as well as to the Head of the OSCE SMM, Ambassador Apakan.

The participants of the Economic Working Group continued the discussion of issues of payment for water deliveries in the supply systems "Karbonyt" and "Voda Donbassa".

The Political Working Group continued to discuss issues related to the future implementation of the so-called ‘Steinmeier formula’. There was also a discussion of the law of Ukraine “On the peculiarities of the state policy on securing the state sovereignty of Ukraine over the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions” adopted by the Verkhovna Rada today. The discussion was conducted without prior acquaintance with the final text.

In the end, I would like to express my hope that this year will be decisive for the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Today we agreed on the calendar of our future meetings until late summer. I would like to note that the Trilateral Contact Group remains the only permanent format for resolving the conflict in the east of Ukraine that is working on solutions and resolving current issues, such as, for example, the exchange of detainees.

In this connection I would like to express my special gratitude to the colleagues in the TCG – President Leonid Kuchma and Boris Gryzlov.”