Press Statement of Special Representative of OSCE Chair in Ukraine and in Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) Sajdik after regular Meeting of TCG in Minsk

MINSK, 29 October 2019 – 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 29 October 2019:

“Today, the Trilateral Contact Group and its Security Working Group focused on the general security situation in the conflict area, as well as on issues of disengagement of forces and hardware.

As I communicated earlier, today the sides renewed the disengagement of forces and hardware in Zolote and continued negotiations on the renewal of disengagement in Petrivske.

Thus, the sides, literally by stepping backwards, have today made a big step forward.

I would like to note with satisfaction the significant progress of the repair works on the bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska. This is by all means another important step forward.

As last time, I regret to say that I cannot give a positive assessment of adherence to the ceasefire. Although the number of violations remains lower than before the ceasefire, it remains fluctuating.

For this reason, I strongly appeal to the sides and call on them, realising their political and humanitarian responsibilities to the civilian population, to do everything necessary to ensure a sustainable ceasefire.

Today, the meeting of the Economic Working Group, in which participated a considerable group of experts, including from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was devoted exclusively to water supply issues. The sides reached agreement on the possibility to launch an international audit of the Voda Donbasa company. The respective tender shall be launched by ICRC.

The Humanitarian Working Group continued its discussions on an exchange of detainees.

Participants of the Political Working Group debated questions related to the implementation of the ‘Steinmeier formula’.”