OSCE ambassador: Overall dynamics of compliance with ceasefire continues in Donbas

Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Heidi Grau, said this in a statement to the press after the regular meetings of the TCG ‎and its Working Groups on October 28.

“According to the assessments of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, the overall dynamics of the compliance with the ceasefire continues, with a positive impact on the lives of civilians in the conflict zone. For three months, the number of violations has remained well below the level recorded prior to the enactment of measures to strengthen the ceasefire on 27 July 2020. This reflects the importance of the political will to continue sustain the ceasefire,” she said.

According to Grau, the meeting participants confirmed “a common understanding with regard to the location of additional disengagement areas as well as the updated demining plan”. At the same time, Grau noted that it was not possible to agree to launch the implementation.

“The discussion in the Working Group on Political Issues did not advance again. In an effort to enhance the work on conflict resolution, the TCG tasked the Working Group to urgently develop a draft action plan based on written proposals by the Working Group participants, in full compliance with the Minsk Agreements,” reads the report.

Grau urged the parties to exert every effort to proceed with mutual release and exchange of conflict-related detainees based on the “all for all” principle, as provided for in the Minsk agreements.

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