Press Statement of Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sajdik after Meeting of Trilateral Contact Group on 31 January 2018

MINSK, 31 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 31 January 2018:

“As you know, in the recent weeks, the number of ceasefire violations has remained on a lower level compared to the records before the recommitment to cessation of fire in connection with the Christmas and New Year holidays in late 2017. However, lately the number of ceasefire violations has slightly increased.

Continued compliance with ceasefire was the main topic at the video-conference of the Working Group on Security on 29 January. Guided by the TCG statement of 20 December 2017, the Working Group members reiterated their commitment to a comprehensive, sustainable and unlimited ceasefire. At the same time, they once again stressed "the necessity to publish and comply with orders, including the need for disciplinary measures for violating the ceasefire."

Participants in the Working Group on Security also discussed the issues related to the withdrawal of forces and hardware, removal of heavy weapons and mine clearance. Besides, the possibilities to repair civil infrastructure facilities and clear approaches to entry-exit checkpoints from mines and vegetation were discussed.

The Working Group on Humanitarian Issues once again welcomed the exchange of detainees achieved in late December. In the presence of Viktor Medvedchuk, the Group discussed possible further steps.

The Economic Working Group thoroughly considered the outage of the mobile operator "Vodafone-Ukraine" in the territory of certain areas of Donetsk region. The sides agreed that this issue is vital for the civilian population on both sides of the contact line. This complex issue requires and urgent solution.

Moreover, the participants of the Economic Working Group discussed the issues of payment for water deliveries in the supply systems "Karbonyt" and "Voda Donbassa", repayment of arrears to former employees of the Ukrainian Railways in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as environmental safety issues associated with the flooding of coalmines in the conflict zone.

The Political Working Group discussed, among other questions, the new Law “On the peculiarities of the state policy on securing the state sovereignty of Ukraine over the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions”. According to the Co-ordinator of the Group, Ambassador Pierre Morel, the sides have shared their positions on this issue.”