Ambassador Grau hopes detainee exchange to strengthen trust between parties to conflict

Ambassador Grau said this in a statement following the mutual release and exchange of detainees on April 16, 2020.

"I welcome today’s mutual release and exchange of detainees related to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, pursuant to the decision of the Trilateral Contract Group taken on 8 April 2020, with the participation of representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. This step, made in advance of the Orthodox Easter, has a special symbolic resonance. I do hope that it will contribute to strengthen trust between the sides while implementing other provisions of the Minsk agreements," she said.

Ambassador Grau expressed her appreciation to all the members of the TCG and participants in its meetings, to the TCG Working group on humanitarian issues and its Co-ordinator, as well as to all those whose contributions made the mutual release and exchange possible.

"Welcoming the achievement, I call on the sides further to make all necessary efforts for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine in line with the Minsk agreements,” she stressed.

As reported, 20 Ukrainian citizens, who were held in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, returned to government-controlled areas as a result of a mutual release on April 16.

Instead, 14 citizens left for the occupied territories. The mutual release of detainees took place as part of the "all-for-all" format.

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